


Tales of Team Avatar

by slimboymillionaire



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, Pre-Comics, post-show
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:01:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 26,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25425073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slimboymillionaire/pseuds/slimboymillionaire
Summary: Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and places belong to Bryan and Michael. I do not own any or claim to. Please don’t sue me.Similar to Tales of Ba Sing Se, Tales of Team Avatar is a series of vignettes that follow the members of Team Avatar in the months following the end of the war. I plan to write them for Toph, Suki, Iroh, Zuko, Aang & Katara, and Sokka. These vignettes are not necessarily chronological.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	1. The Tale of Toph

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Months later, Toph is finally ready for her rematch.

Along a forest road, Toph Beifong walked alone. Her surroundings were beautiful—birds chirped, water rushed through a nearby river, and wind swayed the branches of the towering trees. Dressed in her attire from the war, Toph’s only addition to her wardrobe was her hat from the invasion. She seemed happy in her solitude, contentedly carrying a sack on her back while eating a fruit. Up in the trees, a raccoon crow carefully flew overhead, peering inquisitively at Toph’s sack. 

Suddenly, it made its move: it dove at her sack, squeezing through the tiny opening at its top. Inside the sack, the raccoon crow found itself in a collection of fruit lying alongside numerous gold, silver, and copper pieces. Just as it grabbed a fruit and began to feast, the sack dropped to the ground with a large thud. The already loose-opening opened wide, Toph staring down at the raccoon-crow pointedly. Half-jokingly, half-annnoyedly, she asked, “Whst do you think you’re doing?”

Terrified, the raccoon crow submerged under the assortment of fruits and money. Toph turned her sack upside down, and all of its contents spilled out. The raccoon crow hurriedly ran away, a single moon peach in its mouth. With a nostalgic, almost sad tone, Toph remarked, “Huh. I almost thought you were Momo...”

In the periphery, three suspicious-looking men gawked at the money on the floor from behind trees—upon a closer view, they were the same thugs which had confronted Zuko in the plains village. Now without their previous jobs as “soldiers” and a village to torment under the guise of protection, the men all looked worse-for-wear. One of the others cast a curious glance at Gow, their leader, questioning, “A little girl?”

However, his pretense of concern soon disappeared: “It’ll be free money!” the soldier excitedly states. Hearing the soldier’s words, Toph feigned struggle in putting the fallen fruit back into the pouch. Gow deviously smiled, “Even better—she’s blind... Get into position!”

The three turned around, running towards a shoddily-constructed earthen toll booth on the side of the road. Unbeknownst to them, Toph metalbended the coins back into the sack instead of picking them up. 

Once again on her way, Toph walked with a smug smile on her face—she sensed the men, heard them, and intended on humbling them. Now approaching the toll station, Toph walked slowly when one of the men cried out from afar: “Stop! By order of Earth King Kuei, you must pay a tax to continue on this road!”

Toph, however, kept walking. Shocked, the three men watched as she walked straight at them. Gow, coming outside from the toll station, earthbended a pillar in front of Toph. Feigning ignorance, she bumped into the pillar, exclaiming in a high-pitched voice, “Ouch!? Another tree?”

Fake-dazedly, Toph stumbled around the tree and continued walking forward. Gow, now stunned, silently watched as Toph bumbled her way through him and his men, bumping into each of them along the way. Now past the toll booth, Toph walked happily. Standing next to Gow, one soldier joyfully whispered, “She’s blind and deaf?! I could take her money in my sleep!”

Gow, faking concern, suggested, “Let’s handle this smoothly then—no need for a fight.” The others laughed, and Gow walked towards Toph. Catching up with her, Gow loudly announced his presence, a devious tone marking his words: “Excuse me miss, but I was wondering if you needed help with that sack. It seems quite heavy for such a small girl to be carrying it.”

Feigning confusion, Toph asked, “Did I hear something? What? Who? Who is talking?”

Gow, now fully immersed in his persona, answered soothingly yet loudly, putting his hand on her shoulder while he spoke: “Don’t worry little girl. I’m an earth kingdom soldier and asked if you needed help.” Devilish laughter erupted from behind him, his companions overjoyed by Gow’s acting performance. 

With exaggerated relief, Toph exclaimed, “Oh, thank goodness! Sorry, my hearing is bad... I thought you were some thief...,” now with a mischievous smile of her own on her face, “Of course you can help me! It’ll be just like at home with my valets!“ Gow, casting a surprised look at her, grew elated when she continued: Toph, now embracing her made-up sob story, bemoaned, “My parents were taken prisoner by the fire nation for their money... Now, I’m trying to find them on my own with the rest of their money!” 

Gow, having shaken his feelings of doubt, flashed Toph a devious smile: he reassured her, his loud voice sending his companions further into their fits of laughter, “I’m sure you’ll find them, little girl. Don’t worry, I’ll even help you.”

Toph, surprise in her voice, exclaimed, “Really? That’s great!” She handed him her sack, stunning Gow with its weight—how could a girl carry so much? Now once more on her way, Toph faked excitement and rambled on about her made-up parents. Meanwhile, Gow quietly laughed as Toph walked forward alone; his suspicions had vanished. The two soldiers, now approaching Gow, quietly snickered amongst themselves. Approaching their friend, one congratulated, “Gow, you’ve gotten better at acting... we should do that every time!” 

Now focused on the money he had just won, Gow opened the bag—the three soldiers stared in awe at the vast number of gold, silver, and copper pieces inside. Excitedly, the other soldier happily stated, “We’ve never gotten this much in one score! We’re set for life!”

Gow stared up and looked at Toph—who was now once again faking her struggle. With a wretched smile, Gow whispered, “We should give her a parting gift, shouldn’t we?” The two soldiers looked at Gow in surprise, but commenced in uproarious laughter when he earthbended a pillar directly in front of Toph. The three happily congratulated themselves, but all turned to Toph after she yelled a loud “Ouch!”

Contrary to her words, Toph stood in front of the pillar, clearly knowledgeable of its presence in front of her. With the three soldiers now giving her their full attention, Toph stamped on the ground, sending the pillar flying. Dumbfounded, the three could only watch in shock as the pillar arced into their flimsy toll booth, destroying it with a loud crash.

Suddenly, the three turned towards Toph, now alarmed by three large rocks flying at them. While the other two soldiers crashed to the ground, Gow deflected the rock with his hammers. Toph, a smug smile stretched across her face, itched for a battle.

Her voice now back to normal, Toph bragged, “Don’t you know who I am?!? I am Toph Beifong, the greatest earthbender in history!”

Shocked, Gow stammered, “But.. but Toph Beifong is a brute... not some tiny little girl...” Regaining his confidence, Gow smiles and coolly stated, “But even if you are really Toph Beifong, you haven’t fought me yet.”

Now on the brink of laughter, Toph called out to Gow: “We’ll see about that, hammer-boy!”

The duel finished within seconds. Gow moved to swing his hammers at Toph, but found that they move against his arms, keeping them at his waist instead. Gow yelled, “What is this? What are you doing?!” Clearly, accurate news about the Blind Bandit hadn’t spread to everyone yet.

Toph, with a smile, retorted, “It’s called metalbending. I invented it.” 

Earth now surrounding him up to the neck, Gow stared at Toph terrified. He looked over to his left, finding the discarded sack stirring with excitement. 

Toph, slowly walking towards him, declared, “You wanted my money? Here, you can have some of it... as a gift from Toph Beifong, the greatest earthbender to ever live.” 

Copper pieces flew out, surrounding Gow’s mouth. Now more subdued, Toph mused, “I haven’t used earthbending for fighting in a long time... thanks for keeping me fresh! Now, if you won’t be disturbing me anymore, I have a long way to go.” 

She blew a raspberry at him, picked up her bag, and with a tip of her hat, turned around, satisfaction punctuating each of her steps. Trapped in both earth and metal, Gow’s muffled yells fought the tranquility of nature as Toph left. Waking up from their unconscious state, the two soldiers dazedly questioned Gow: “Did we get the money?” 

Toph, now alone once again, walked on the peaceful road. On the horizon, the Kolau Mountains towered above the forest...

———————————————————

The great city of Omashu bustled with activity. Street artists performed, couples walked together, merchants sold their goods and haggled with buyers, and children ran about all on the sloped streets of the fabled city. Despite the carefree, joyous vibrancy present within the walls, old scars plagued the city: where old Fire Nation factories stood, dust and trash now collected; where past skirmishes between Fire Nation soldiers and the Omashu resistance took place, scorch marks marred the bright white walls; where Ozai’s tremendous statue once toppled to the depths of the valleys surrounding the city, still-damaged buildings lay in its destructive wake; where Fire Nation soldiers formerly oppressed Omashu’s citizens, Earth Kingdom soldiers fervently patrolled the streets, determined to never again be conquered by firebenders. 

The walls of the city, as a result, had grown—a lot. Seemingly rivaling those of Ba Sing Se, Omashu’s walls rose higher than ever, armed with even more men than in wartime. Outside the wall, soldiers stared steely-eyed into the distance, staunchly monitoring the lone, winding, and narrow bridge to Omashu with unmatched vigilance. 

To those watchful soldiers, it came as a surprise when the bridge began to grow, literally—seemingly on its own accord, the bridge gradually widened, more earth rising from the depths of Omashu’s surrounding chasms. Even more surprising to them, perhaps, was the fact that the bridge seemed to be widening around a little girl walking towards them...

As that little girl came closer, though, any surprise on the soldiers’ faces dissipated —while Gow and his goons may have been out of the loop, the soldiers of Omashu were not; that little girl was Toph Beifong, the self-proclaimed greatest earthbender in the world!

Finally, Toph arrived at the gates, her sack now empty save for a few copper pieces. With the widened bridge already reduced to its original width, Toph stood face to face with the soldiers guarding the wall. With admiration oozing from his voice, the commander spoke, “Toph Beifong, it is an honor to meet you. You are a hero to the Earth Kingdom and the city of Omashu. Your feats are truly legendary!”

A joyful expression marking her face, Toph proclaimsed, “I appreciate the hero-worship, commander. But check this out!”

The earth shook... with a single stamp to the ground, Toph opened Omashu’s vast gates. While the soldiers on top of the gate fled in confusion, the commander and his team could only stare at Toph in awe. 

However, the commander’s amazement quickly disappeared once Toph began to walk through the gates towards the city. With a hint of embarrassment, the commander cried out, “Wait! Before you enter, I have to ask you what business brings you here.”

Toph, though, continued walking undisturbed. Looking up at the city’s peak and with a smug, almost excited smile growing on her face, Toph coolly replied, “I’m here for a rematch.”

As soon as she entered, Toph was overwhelmed by Omashu’s energy—it was like no other city she had ever been to. Unlike in Ba Sing Se, there was no Joo Dee to guide her, no Dai Li to watch her, or Fire Nation to attack her; here in Omashu, life was peaceful, hopeful, and simple. While Toph could not see the happy faces of the city’s citizens, she certainly felt the hustle-and-bustle along the city’s streets as she climbed the steps towards the mountain peak of the city. 

Toph, for some reason, seemed unusually muted once she actually entered the city—gone was her excitement at the prospect of an earthbending duel. She quietly trudged up the streets, even while people glanced at her with surprise and awe; seemingly lost in her thoughts, she paid no attention to her onlookers. That changed, however, when a little boy approached her. Toph felt the child coming, but did not speed up to try to avoid him. Now blocking her way, the boy inquisitively asked her, “Are... are you Toph Beifong?!”

Apathetically, Toph answered, “Yeah, I am.”

The boy did not mirror Toph’s apathy. His shock soon turned to joy, and within seconds the boy was hugging Toph; next, he was excitedly running back to his parents and friends; then, he was determinedly tugging them towards Toph. By the end of his outburst, the boy had brought his friends, their families, and his own family to see Toph. Toph could feel that the families were all good friends—no, not just friends: they were family. 

That made Toph wistful, the earthbender reminiscing over her days with Team Avatar; it had been months since she had seen any of them, with the group splitting up after celebrating the announcement of the Harmony Restoration Movement. Since then, the only connections she had had to her friends were the occasional letters they sent. Toph knew that she would see her friends as soon as Zuko ironed things out in the colonies, but still found herself missing them; besides, life would never be the same as it was when she fought with them to defeat Firelord Ozai. Since then, nothing had truly fulfilled her like teaching Aang and saving the world had—but then again, how could she top that?

Toph was shaken from her absent-minded state when the boy’s mother bowed, with the rest of the group watching Toph with wonder. 

“Thank you for all you have done for the Earth Kingdom. We are all indebted to you,” said the woman.

Mustering an inaudible mumble, Toph muttered, “Don’t mention it.” Clearly, her mind was on other things. However, her childhood training in etiquette soon kicked in when she saw the woman looking at her perplexedly; these people clearly respected her, and Toph realized she ought to give them her respect too. In a louder, happier voice, Toph spoke, “Thanks, it means a lot...” Her thoughts drawn back to her friends, Toph sighed, “It wasn’t just me, though.”

Behind the woman, a man, presumably her husband, spoke softly, “We know all about Team Avatar’s deeds. Avatar Aang helped us leave Omashu after the Fire Nation conquered it, and the Order of the White Lotus saves us when they liberated Ba Sing Se... without you and your friends, who knows what would have happened to us.”

Toph, touched by the man’s words, immediately felt better when she looked up at the group: all eyes were on her, admiration and respect gleaming through them as they looked upon Toph. In a rare soft moment for her, Toph warmly smiled at them. Throughout her journeys, the respect that strangers looked at her with was one of the few things that helped abate her loneliness; even if she couldn’t win the respect of her own parents, she had won the respect of the three nations. Ultimately, Toph had helped better the lives of thousands of people. 

At the brief thought of her parents, Toph saddened temporarily—just as she hadn’t seen her friends, she also hadn’t seen her parents for months; even worse, Toph had avoided any attempts at reconciliation by them since she was abducted by Xin Fu and Master Yu. 

However, her sadness was temporary. While she was musing, three of the children had been pushed to the front of the group by their parents, the three standing next to the boy who recognized her in quiet trepidation; the boy, though, showed no fear. His voice full of wonder, he proclaimed, “Me and my friends are earthbenders! When I grow up, I wanna be just like you.”

Toph quizzically looked at the four children, then glanced back up at their parents—ironically, it was the adults who Toph felt wanted her validation. Her mocking sense of humor returning, Toph joked, “If you want to be like me, you guys are going to need to get a lot better.”

The parents laughed, but the children did not. One of the boy’s friends indignantly piped up, “When I grow up, I’m going to be better than you! I’ll be as good as King Bumi!”

Toph, feigning offense (maybe she was a tad offended), questioned, “You think King Bumi is better than me?”

The kid, steely determination in his eyes, retorted, “I do. He freed an entire city!”

Toph, now not just feigning offense, warned, “You won’t be thinking that after I fight him. I’m the best earthbender in the world!”

Now awed once more, the child asked, “You’re fighting King Bumi?! Really?!?!”

Coolly, Toph declared, “Yep. I came all the way to Omashu just to beat the old man.”

At the mention of an earthbending duel, the children erupted into squeals, begging their parents to let them watch the duel. Toph, ever the lover of conflict, just looked and laughed. The parents fruitlessly tried dissuading them; only after the mother gave Toph a pleading request for help did the master earthbender intervene.

Joy now fully back in her voice, Toph remarked, “Hate to break it to you guys, but this duel isn’t going to have an audience. Besides, I wouldn’t want you to see your hero King Bumi get beaten by me.”

With that, Toph thanked the parents for their kind words and turned to leave. As she walked up the steps, she silently snickered to herself as she heard the children squeal and try to break free from their parents’ grasps. The children and their families had proven a welcome respite to her monotonous travels: she hadn’t quarreled with somebody like that since she was with Team Avatar! Recognizing where her thoughts were going, Toph steeled herself for her upcoming duel. With almost cocky courage, Toph knew she was going to beat King Bumi, and she was going to prove that she was the best earthbender in the world—undisputedly!

———————————————————

Since Aang, Katara, and Sokka had once been sent for judgement as criminals, the throne room had not changed much. Soldiers stood at the walls of the entry hallway every ten yards, and dim green lights gave the room an eerie tint—not that it mattered to Toph, though. While not nearly as grand as King Kuei’s palacial seat in Ba Sing Se, Bumi’s throne exuded the same authority, in an odd way of sorts—though perhaps the oddness came from the man on the throne himself. 

King Bumi, the old, slightly (more than slightly, to be honest) eccentric centennial peered curiously at Toph as she marched towards him. With his characteristic high-pitched voice, Bumi mockingly welcomed Toph: “Toph Beifong... what took you so long?”

Undisturbed, Toph replied, “I got tied up in some other things. You ready to get beaten?”

Bumi just laughed. His words interrupted periodically by snorts and laughter, Bumi spoke, “I... I don’t think... that will be happening today... young earthbender... this is my city after all.”

Toph, her voice marked by determination, retorted, “We’ll see about that."

Bumi, now recovered from his laughing fit, instructed his guard, “Take Ms. Beifong to the arena... I’ll meet her there.”

The guard though, looked at Bumi quizzically: “Which one? The good arena or the destroyed arena?” 

Now seemingly deep in thought, Bumi mused, “I thought we agreed to number the chambers and arenas... take her to the refurbished arena!” 

Confusion still on his face, the guard spoke, “Which one?”

Bumi, now slightly exasperated, muttered, “The arena that Aang and I destroyed, until the recent refurbishing that is. Of course, I’ve been calling it the new arena... I guess I should have called it arena number two...” His voice growing louder, Bumi proclaimed, “To the refurbished arena that was once destroyed!”

At that, the guard left Bumi’s side and approached Toph. He told her to follow him, and the two left together—behind them, Bumi had a mischievous smile on his face. 

Since Aang had destroyed the arena to save Katara and Sokka, much had changed. Bright green crystals covered the the arena and hallway in place of the old dark clay, the bright arena in stark contrast with the eerie throne room Toph had just been in; once again, though, that didn’t matter to Toph. 

As she walked through the hallway towards the arena, Toph was, however, confused by the crystals—why had Bumi chosen to make their arena so grand? Toph mused over the potential cost of such an endeavor; moreso, she pondered what elaborate plan Bumi had to beat her. That plan became evident as soon as she entered the vast arena: instead of being made out of earth, Toph realized Bumi had turned the arena into a pool! 

Toph didn’t have time to be surprised though, for Bumi was already floating in the arena peacefully: “Coming, young earthbender?” the old king croaked, “I’m not getting any younger waiting down here!”

Toph, upset at Bumi’s treachery, shouted back, “You’re cheating! I can’t swim! Come up here and fight me like a man!”

Once more, Bumi simply laughed in response. With a sage tone and a wry smile, Bumi called out, “You call it cheating, I call it home field advantage,” his words interrupted by snorts of laughter.

Toph only grunted angrily at Bumi’s words, for once not having a real response to somebody’s words. Crossing her arms, standing put, and muttering cross words to herself, Toph only grew angrier as Bumi laughed at her increasing displeasure. That indignation soon turned to shock, though.

Without warning, Bumi earthbended the crystal beneath Toph’s feet; absorbed in her angry thoughts, Toph couldn’t react fast enough. As such, she soon found herself flying in the air—even worse, she found herself flying towards the pool!

Out of sheer self-preservation, Toph earthbended the pool’s floor up, giving her a landing platform. After landing in a thud, Toph slowly got up and dusted herself off. Much to her chagrin, Bumi was laughing.

Now treading water, the king congratulated Toph: “Impressive, young earthbender.” Next, he challenged her: “But how are you going to fight me if you can’t see me?” With more laughter, Bumi swam away from Toph, whose anger had returned.

Indignated by Bumi’s antics, Toph yelled out, “Don’t you dare run away!” With a strong stamp, Toph tried to sense her surroundings; while she saw through the crystals clearly, she could only see a murky image of Bumi. She earthbended pillar after pillar into the water, yet none of them came close to Bumi—the man was a master of evasion!

Bumi, once again mocking Toph, taunted through laughter, “Ah, yes. Try and sense me through the earth when I’m in water. That’ll surely work!”

Toph, now able to see through her anger, coolly replied, “You’re right, Bumi! It won’t work... but this will!” Toph jumped into the air and slammed into the ground, pulling up the bottom of the pool to her level while letting the water sink into deep trenches around the arena. Toph then noticed, though, that something was different about the floor—in between layers of rock, there seemed to be a thin layer of metal! 

Before she could ponder the ramifications of her discovery, Toph had to earthbend; Bumi had not stopped to congratulate her for her bending this time, instead choosing to sling crystals at her in rapid succession.

Toph bent a wall for defense, then sent it at Bumi; as it approached him, it grew in size. Just as it was about to hit him, Bumi bent a pillar underneath him, lifting him to the top of the mass of rock.

As Bumi landed, he rode the boulder towards Toph, flinging bits and pieces of it at the young earthbender. In response, Toph bent pieces of rock at the boulder to slow it down.

With a huge crash, Toph finally destroyed Bumi’s boulder with a wall; the crystal shattered, and King Bumi sailed above her head, unbeknownst to her. Earth formed around her, shocking Toph—she couldn’t see that move coming. However, the setback was temporary, and Toph turned her crystal surroundings into a suit of armor.

That didn’t matter much, though, for she couldn’t see Bumi. She sensed as pillar after pillar emerged from the ground, Bumi’s feet landing on them lightly. For being over 100 years old, Bumi was incredibly nimble. Toph closed her eyes, intensely listening for Bumi...

In a swift movement, Toph both blocked Bumi’s attack and launched her own, knocking the old king to the ground in front of her. Toph sent her suit of armor at him flying, and Bumi was too slow to react; the crystals formed around his body, wrapping him up completely—that is, everywhere but his nose.

Toph’s smug smile, dormant up to that point, emerged once more on her face. It was short lived. From inside the crystal armor, Toph could hear Bumi’s high pitched laugh. She felt the ground—no, not just the ground—the entire arena shaking all around her. 

Abruptly, the ground shifted from beneath her. Both Toph and Bumi fell to the ground, but this ground was different: it was metal. Toph landed in a thud, and Bumi’s crystal armor clanged around as it landed on the metal. The shaking, though, wasn’t over. Toph got up just in time to feel the ceiling part above her, freeing a giant metal covering. In a huge crash, the metal covering fell from the ceiling and landed on the metal floor, creating a metal box; Bumi had hidden a cage inside the arena!

Bumi, earthbending the crystal around him to move, stood up, ready to fight. Toph froze him with her own earthbending, the two of them equally matching each other with their power. Suddenly, Toph overpowered Bumi, forcing him into a sitting position; both of them knew, however, that Bumi let her do that.

Toph, indignated, interrogated Bumi: “Why would you do that? You’re letting me win!”

Laughing once more, Bumi replied, “Oh really? Am I?”

Able to faintly hear Bumi’s words through the armor, Toph angrily proclaimed, “Yes! That’s exactly what you’re doing! You let me put you into that crystal suit! You even put us both in a metal box!”

Toph could sense Bumi’s smile from within his armor. With a huge bite, Bumi bit a hole in the crystal to speak through—the crystal was jennamite! Suddenly, the armor flew from Bumi onto Toph, covering her everywhere except for her hands and face.

A sage tone in his voice, Bumi remarked, “It seems like I’ve won, actually.”

Indignated, Toph yelled back, “I could easily get out of this if I wanted to! I could wrap you up with metal right now!”

With a twinkle in his eyes, Bumi replied, “Ah, yes. But that would be metalbending, wouldn’t it?”

With horror, Toph realized the meaning of Bumi’s words. That horror soon turned to familiar indignation, with Toph breaking free from her crystal restraints to convince Bumi that metalbending was a form of earthbending.

Bumi, eating the jennamite of Toph’s broken armor, was not convinced; he sat down, inviting Toph to sit with him. Ironically, the fight between the two best earthbenders in the world had turned into a verbal debate.

After what seemed like hours of discussion, Bumi reigned supreme, utilizing his well-aged wisdom and wit: while Toph was the better (and only) metalbender, she still could not defeat Bumi with just earthbending. After hearing a knock on the cage from concerned guards, Bumi had Toph metalbend them out. While Bumi was cheerful at the result, Toph was gloomy. 

Bumi recognized this, laughingly telling Toph, “Cheer up! It’s not everyday that somebody matches the amazing King Bumi in earthbending.”

Toph didn’t laugh.

Bumi continued to playfully rub salt into the wound as they walked through his palace, until finally he directed her to his quarters.

His voice now a touch caring, Bumi asked, “When do you plan on leaving?”

Still annoyed by the result of her fight, Toph tersely replied, “Tomorrow. After breakfast.”

Bumi smiled and warmly declared, “You will be a guest of honor tomorrow, then. We shall throw a feast!” Bumi wished Toph goodbye, and the young earthbender seemed a bit too eager to close the door and get him out of her sight. Bumi chuckled as he left, his infectious laughter penetrating the walls of Toph’s room. Eventually, Toph couldn’t help it: thinking back over the events of the day, Toph smiled.

———————————————————

As Toph packed her bags in the early hours of the morning, the sadness on her face was evident. Contrary to her previous words, she hadn’t left Omashu the following day. Instead, she had stayed put for almost three weeks, instead choosing to help Bumi. With the two best earthbenders in the world joining forces, Omashu’s old scars disappeared in the blink of an eye—many of the city’s buildings appeared anew, for they were: either through renovation or construction, Toph and Bumi transformed the already-vibrant city of Omashu into something even better.

In those three weeks, Toph had found a new friend in King Bumi. While they had been friendly ever since they met before Sozin’s Comet, they never truly got to know each other. Surprisingly, Bumi’s eccentricity meshed well with Toph’s no-nonsense personality, and the two got into antics only two master earthbenders could—for them, a daily spar seemed like a good source of fun. For Bumi, Toph gave him the chance to embrace the childlike, fun-loving personality within him, just like Aang did. For Toph, Bumi reminded her what it was like to have a fun; more importantly, he reminded her of what it was like to have a friend. 

Toph’s time in Omashu had given her time to reconnect with her old friends, too. Having lived the life of a nomad for the previous months, Toph found it difficult to keep in touch with her friends; furthermore, the contact between them was often brief and disjointed. Staying put in Omashu solved those problems, and Toph enjoyed regular communication with all of her friends—even with those as far away as Zuko and as remote as The Duke! While it certainly wasn’t the same as meeting them in person, letters provided a much needed respite to Toph’s isolation; ultimately, Toph was just happy that her friends were safe and sound. Zuko was finally settling into his role as the new Firelord, Suki was having fun—well, maybe not too much fun—leading the Kyoshi Warriors, Aang and Katara were preparing for a romantic trip together (Toph cringed at the prospect, but she didn’t let it show in her letters), and Sokka was further blossoming into a leader and future chieftain at the South Pole! With a wealth of new information about her friends’ lives, Toph began counting down the days until she met them again...

She did not, however, count the days until she would meet her parents again. Since her parents were notified of her presence in Omashu, a deluge of letters from them had bombarded Bumi, all requesting him to read them to Toph. Bumi had assiduously delivered and recited them to her, but relented after coming to the realization she never was going to care. Now, instead of piling up on her bed, her parents’ letters piled up in the dusty earthen cabinets in her room.

Correction: her mother’s letters had piled up in the dusty earthen cabinets in her room, until she had Bumi read them to her yesterday. 

After weeks of avoiding any communication with her parents, Toph finally cracked; perhaps it was the quiet solitude of her room, the lavish quarters that reminded her of home, her imminent departure from Omashu, or something else, something deep-rooted within her—whatever it was, Toph somehow felt inspired to face her fears just before she left Omashu. Taking the plunge, she opened the cabinets that evening, finding a plethora of dusty scrolls neatly arranged inside. 

Immediately, months of guilt washed over Toph: she alone had willfully ignored her parents’ attempts at reconciliation ever since the war had ended. Though her friends had encouraged her to reconcile with them soon after the war was over, Toph remained belligerently stubborn—even after sending them a letter, Toph found that her fear of disappointing them soon returned. She put on a tough face for her friends, claiming that she didn’t want to see them immediately; even worse, she said that her parents probably didn’t even want her back after hearing about her exploits during the war. Team Avatar brushed her comments off as “classic Toph,” and she did too, perhaps to a harmful, self-destructive extent. Despite her best efforts to eliminate her deep-rooted love for her parents, Toph knew that her harsh statements were lies. Toph missed her parents. Desperately. Guilt plaguing her thoughts, Toph knew that they too felt the same. 

All of her repressed feelings coming to a head, Toph let the tears flow as she reached into the cabinet and pulled the countless scrolls out, staining each one with tears. Of all her emotions, Toph found that fear had grown strongest in her heart. Even as one of the best benders on the entire planet, Toph could not help but feel inadequate when she thought of her parents... to her parents, who simply wanted a sweet, gentle-minded daughter, Toph must have been a complete failure. Toph knew her thoughts were completely irrational; yet, she couldn’t stop herself from thinking them and reinforcing them whenever she thought about her parents. 

With no one to confide in, Toph had compounded her emotions over and over again, forcing herself to mask her thoughts from everyone else—even her closest friends. Her feelings, as a result, intensified with pressure and finally erupted that night in her Omashu suite. Toph, though, couldn’t bear to be alone in her thoughts in that moment. Placing her tough persona aside, Toph went to the only friend she could find: King Bumi.

Bumi, predictably, had used Toph’s impending departure as an excuse to throw another grand feast that night and was alone at the table, finishing his meal in solitude. Slowly eating his roast turtle duck, Bumi was surprised to see Toph: “Toph? I thought you had gone to sleep.”

Biting back tears, Toph rasped, “I was going to... but I need your help now.” Tears now steaming down her face, Toph presented Bumi with a fistful of her parents’ letters.

At once, Bumi’s face shifted from curiosity to concern; although he was at heart a mischievous spirit, Bumi was equally caring and wise. Worry tinging his voice, Bumi asked, “What do you need, young earthbender?”

Her sadness now punctuated by steely determination, Toph replied, “I need you to read my parents’ letters to me.” 

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Bumi remained silent for a while. Showing his response through his actions, Bumi quietly got up and walked to Toph. Quietly, he whispered, “Come. Let’s go to someplace more private.” While his face showed grave concern for Toph, Bumi was happy inside; Toph needed to break through her fears surrounding her parents, and he was glad to help. 

Bumi read the letters from evening to past midnight, nearly overwhelmed by the sheer number of scrolls he had to read. While reading the letters, though, Bumi’s happiness dissipated—contrary to his expectations, Toph’s parents too had complicated feelings towards their daughter. Knowing that even he could not unpack the meaning dried into the letters, Bumi left Toph to her thoughts; as he left, he offered his support, the only thing he could gift her: “I’ll let you ponder those for a while... I’ll be here if you need anything.” He gave her a reassuring pat on the soldier, then turned to the door to exit. 

Toph could only muster two words in response, coldly stating, “Thanks, Bumi.”

Stopping in the doorway, Bumi offered his advice: “Don’t jump to any decisions, young earthbender. Feel everything first.” 

Toph didn’t reply, though, and Bumi silently closed the door. 

Toph was angry.

Toph was hurt.

Toph felt that she had been right all along.

The letters hadn’t helped. Instead of reaffirming the deep-rooted knowledge inside Toph that made her know that her parents’ loved her, they worsened her fears—at least when it came to her dad.

As Bumi read the letters to her, Toph came to truly realize the consequences of her departure. While she never expected her parents to split up, they had... over her. Guilt growing in her chest, Toph doubled over, shocked by the letters’ contents and her resulting emotions. 

Anger surged to the forefront of her mind, and Toph pictured her father: how could he have let her go? She was his only child, yet he seemed just fine with “setting her free;” no, it wasn’t setting her free... it was setting himself free! Her father had forsaken her, too shocked by her transformation! How could he have left her mother over her?! He left his own wife, simply because she was not willing to let go of her only daughter. Worst of all to Toph, though, was the fact that he sent just one letter. For months, Toph had held a quiet, firm hope that her parents would be ready to accept her for who she was after they read the letter she had sent so long ago—both of them. The letters, though, shattered that hope. Her father had let go of her, and her mother... her mother refused to accept that Toph had changed. Thinking back on her mother’s words, Toph grew angry; why could she not appreciate what Toph had become? Why did she have to plead so earnestly for Toph to come back home and “be her little girl again,” especially when Toph was anything but that!?

Guilt rising once again, Toph wondered if her father would so easily renege her if she had just tried to reconcile with her parents... maybe, if she had shown her mother what she had become, she would appreciate her daughter’s strength... with such little effort, she could have saved her relationship with her parents... though, perhaps she still could.

Remembering Bumi’s words, Toph refused to commit to a definitive death stroke on her relationship with her parents; Toph, in spite of her no-nonsense, decisive attitude, knew that Bumi’s words carried wisdom. With the voice of reason back in her brain, she decided to sleep on her problems, wistfully hoping to have solved them in her dreams. 

———————————————————

With her money, food, and water all in her sack, Toph finally realized that her time in Omashu was coming to an end. While the city connected Toph to her past, Toph knew that what lay ahead of her was uncertain. She gazed around at her spacious room, perhaps not willing to say goodbye; though she certainly loved living outdoors on her own, she had come to appreciate her life in Omashu, despite the pain it brought her—for Toph, her comfortable lifestyle in the city provided daily reminders of her life in Gaoling, with her parents...

Toph found herself wistfully staring at the lone scroll on her bed, the latest one she had received from her mother. It was more of the same, but that didn’t change its meaning to Toph... ultimately, it was one of the reasons she was leaving. 

Surprisingly, it had been Bumi to first suggest that she leave the city. During the heat of the afternoon yesterday, Toph and Bumi finally finished renovating the city. While both of them were admiring their work, Bumi posed the troubling question: “So, young earthbender... when do you plan on leaving?”

Toph was shocked by the question, but feigned calm and shrugged, “I don’t know. To be nice, it’s been pretty fun here.”

Bumi, though, saw through Toph’s cool demeanor; he mused, “I know you’ve liked your stay here... but an earthbender of your stature shouldn’t waste away on construction projects, should they?” With a familiar twinkle in his eyes, Bumi laughed at his own question. 

Toph, initially surprised by the question, came to realize the same thing: “Hmm, I guess you’re right, Bumi. The greatest earthbender of all time should be doing more in life...” Feigning her resolve, Toph remarked, “You know what, I’ll leave first thing tomorrow at dawn!”

Bumi smiled into the distance, chuckling quietly to himself. He mused, “You just had to throw a jab in there, didn’t you?” He looked happily at Toph, and Toph gave him an affectionate punch.

When Bumi doubled over in fake pain, Toph simply laughed—soon, both of them were laughing. 

Speaking through snorts, Bumi exclaimed, “We’ll have a feast tonight to celebrate! Besides, it’s been a while since the last.”

Toph just laughed: “It’s been three days.”

Bumi retorted, “A great mind needs great food!” The two once more broke into laughter as they overlooked the gleaming white city, the sun high above them. 

Recalling her conversation with Bumi, Toph knew that she was leaving for Omashu for good reasons as she looked at her mother’s scroll. Even if she wasn’t ready to reconcile with her parents until they realized who she was, she would never have the chance to if she stayed in Omashu... Her eyes drifted to her metal bracelet, which she had acquired while in the city. For being the only metalbender in the world, Toph felt a strong connection with the bracelet—it was a unique feeling, something that only she knew how to obtain. 

Toph sighed at her thoughts, once more finding herself isolated from others. While Toph was excited by the potential of her upcoming journey, she wasn’t too enthralled with the idea of living as a nomad again. Living in Omashu, Toph had made a new friend in Bumi while reconnecting with her old ones; all that would be gone after she left, though. Thankfully, Toph easily escaped those negative thoughts—her new journey would inevitably provide her some excitement and give her immense satisfaction, wherever it took her and whatever she did; best of all, she knew that she would see her friends soon after her next journey ended. Now in a positive mindset, Toph grabbed her sack, ready to leave Omashu for new adventures. 

As Toph approached the balcony overlooking the city, she found that Bumi was waiting for her.

Bumi jokingly chided Toph, “Took you long enough. I have a city to run, if you can’t see that.” Toph felt Bumi wink at her, and she rolled her eyes in response. 

With her hands on the balcony’s stone rails, Toph mused, “I don’t know when I’ll be here next.”

Bumi smiled and exclaimed, “You’ll always be welcome, young earthbender.”

At that moment, Toph’s feelings overwhelmed her; in a rare moment of emotion, Toph hugged Bumi tightly.

Still in his warm grasp, Toph whispered, “You’re a great friend, Bumi.”

Jokingly, Bumi retorted, “I know.” As he smiled down at Toph, he earned a punch. 

Her emotions not completely past her, Toph pondered aloud, “It’s like I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be alone living here... of all the cities I’ve been to, Omashu’s definitely the best.

Happily surprised, Bumi replied, “Oh, that’s great praise coming from the second best earthbender in the world!” That earned him a rock to the back, but Bumi saw that coming. The two laughed, their previous competition almost (keyword almost) entirely replaced by friendly banter. 

On a more serious note, Bumi offered his advice to Toph: “You know, you don’t have to be alone when you’re traveling.” Toph was confused, especially so after he glanced at Toph’s bracelet. Bumi continued, “Aang told me all about your teaching,” now laughing, “if Aang liked you as a teacher, you must’ve been good.”

Toph, still not entirely understanding Bumi, asked, “What do you mean?”

Bumi, his voice now wise and gentle, spoke, “You have a unique gift, Toph Beifong. Not metalbending, but teaching! But also metalbending. If you ever find yourself alone, give teaching a shot.”

Toph looked quizzically at Bumi, but was surprised when she saw the sincerity in his eccentric, ever-moving eyes. Quietly, she stated, “Really? You think that?”

Bumi snorted, “I may be crazy, young earthbender... but I am a mad genius for a reason.” With his signature crooked smile, Bumi patted Toph’s shoulder. A wistful tone in his voice and a twinkle in his eyes. Bumi spoke, “Good luck, Toph. I’ll miss your antics.”

Emotions returning to Toph, she hugged Bumi once again. Quietly, she whispered, “I’ll miss you too, Bumi.”

As dawn broke over the Kolau Mountains on the horizon, the two parted ways. Bumi asked that Toph extend his well-wishes to Aang and any other members of Team Avatar; Toph, eager to see her friends too, gladly agreed.

Toph walked down the sloping streets of Omashu much slower than she had climbed up them to fight King Bumi. In three weeks, she had profoundly changed as a person: for the first time since she joined Aang, she had a clear idea of what she wanted to do. Toph’s quiet musing was interrupted by a pleasant sight: the same boy who had recognized her as she entered the city was up at dawn, fervently practicing his earthbending! 

Toph silently approached the boy, stopping one of his earthbending-propelled rocks midair. In shock, the boy turned to Toph; before he could squeal in excitement, Toph told him to be quiet. She knelt on the ground and quietly whispered, “Wow! I’m surprised you’re so good already!” 

The boy, beaming, replied, “One day I’ll be as good as you!”

Toph, armed with her classic sense of humor, proclaimed, “In 100 years, maybe!” When the boy’s face fell, Toph was forced to tell him it was a joke; however, she had something more important to tell him. In awe, the boy watched as Toph moved her bracelet around her arm without touching it. Toph spoke, “I have a special connection with this bracelet because I’m a metalbender... I want you to have it. Whenever you practice earthbending, try to move this bracelet with metalbending.” Placing it into his hand, Toph smiled when she felt the boy’s heart rate jump in excitement. 

The boy, though, seemed nervous: “But only you can metalbend! It’s impossible!” 

Toph, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, joked, “Oh, don’t be a lily-liver. It’s not that hard... you just have to feel the earth inside of it!”

In awe, the boy watched as Toph metalbended the bracelet into various shapes, multiple “oohs” and “aahs” punctuating her tricks. When Toph finished, the boy was speechless. Toph reassuringly places the bracelet in the boy’s hand and nodded, signifying her trust in him. Slowly, she got up and turned to walk down the streets for the final time.

As Toph descended Omashu’s slopes streets for the final time in her three week stay, she felt the boy determinedly trying to move the metal bracelet. Satisfied with her work, Toph sported a smug smile as she approached the gates.


	2. The Tale of Suki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suki’s back to her Kyoshi Warrior duties after the war, and they definitely aren’t a piece of cake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: Chronologically, this takes place before The Tale of Toph. If you want to read the future stories chronologically when they are completed, read this one first, Iroh second, Zuko third, Toph fourth, Sokka fifth, and Aang and Katara last.

With one final stroke, Suki completed her makeup. Staring at her mirror intently, Suki viewed her reflection with pride as she stood alone, dressed in her Kyoshi Warrior uniform. As ever, the striking uniform identified her as a member of the elite fighting force—gleaming white face-paint covered her face, accentuating her contrasting jet black and bright red accents. Although such a smattering of makeup would have rendered any regular person almost unrecognizable, Suki felt like herself while in uniform. As she had told Sokka over a year ago, Suki silently reminded herself of the deep meaning imbued in the Kyoshi Warrior uniform: “The silk threads symbolize our bravery. The gold represents our honor."

Suki’s appreciation was clear—each word reflected her immense gratitude over finally being back home with her people. Since the war’s end, she realized she had not worn her uniform much over the course of her travels: from the time she first left Kyoshi, Suki had only donned the distinct uniform for a few weeks, thanks to an overly-strict Earth Kingdom passport officer and Azula’s crew, who had her and the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors thrown in prison.

Suki cringed at the thought of her stay in prison. While it was not terrible (besides, she got out soon enough), the months of enforced inactivity and helplessness still weighed on her mind. Over the course of her time in prison, Suki could only increase her resentment towards the Fire Nation and Azula’s crew for what they had done to her—they had taken what she valued most as a member of the Kyoshi Warriors: her agency.

Things were different now.

With a creak that interrupted the silence, the door to Suki‘s quarters cracked open. From the sliver of an opening, Suki saw Ty Lee—the same girl who, months before, had helped Azula imprison her at the Boiling Rock and fought to keep her there as she attempted to escape—curiously peering into her room. Suki’s momentary shock dissipated immediately, shifting to feelings of friendliness as the door opened wider. Despite her previous misgivings, Suki had found Ty Lee to be a skilled warrior and, most importantly, a trustworthy friend.

Ty Lee, in her unmistakably airy and exuberant voice, asked, “Ready for some chi-blocking lessons?”

Suki, rubbing her eyes, yawned, “Go ahead, Ty Lee. I’ll be there in a second.” 

It was just prior to dawn, and Suki was tired. For the past two weeks, she had been assiduously working on her chi-blocking in the attempt of mastering the skill before the upcoming Kyoshi Warrior induction—a ceremony that, despite its seeming distance, had creeped up to being only two days away! Even worse, mastery of the art of chi-blocking proved elusive to the elite warrior in spite of her best efforts. 

Ultimately, Suki thought that if she were to be a good leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, she would have to be able to teach new inductees everything—yes, everything—they needed to know. Although she knew she had help in Ty Lee and her fellow warriors, Suki oftentimes pushed herself too hard during her chi-blocking training; why she did that, she didn’t know—perhaps it was just her strong personality. Or maybe her actions were motivated by a deep-rooted frustration and newfound drive stemming from her imprisonment in the Fire Nation. Whatever it was, Suki pushed her worries about the ceremony and her upcoming to the back of her mind; she had a job to do, and it would need all of her focus.

Suki readied herself for her upcoming training; after one final glance at her reflection in the mirror, Suki exited the room. To her surprise, though, she did not find Ty Lee waiting. Suki mused that her new friend must have gone ahead. At the thought, Suki smiled. 

Despite all of her own determination, Suki found that Ty Lee’s optimism and zest were unbeatable. Ever since she had joined the Kyoshi Warriors, Ty Lee had doggedly applied herself, learning both their unique customs and fighting style with unmatched enthusiasm. However, Ty Lee hadn’t adopted all of their customs—her makeup, fighting style, and personality were all slightly distinct from her counterparts. From an outsider’s (certainly from Sokka’s viewpoint) perspective, she seemed like an impostor; to the other members and Suki herself, though, Ty Lee was a true member of the Kyoshi Warriors. After all, her distinct style had brought some positive change to the group—instead of their usual regular, green headbands, the other fighters had each adopted brilliant, unique gold headpieces, borrowing from Ty Lee’s sense of individuality during their time together in prison.

Suki exited her building, stepping out into the crisp air of autumn. Down relatively far south, the leaves of the surrounding trees brightened the island with a brilliant array of oranges, yellows, and reds. While Sokka and the others only knew Kyoshi as the chilly, barren land they had found in winter, Suki saw the island’s true nature as she walked through the vibrant host of colors around her. The world around her was peacefully silent, the only noise being the occasional bird chirp. Taken in by the serene beauty of her surroundings, Suki paused on her way to the dojo; just like her warrior uniform, Kyoshi Island itself brought up countless memories to the forefront Suki’s mind. Suki absent-mindedly grinned at the memories of her peaceful life before the war, her life having shifted primarily from peace to fun back in those days. Her grin, though, soon grew into a smile: the war was over, she was in the process of mastering chi-blocking, and things were looking up; after all of this passed, maybe she could even see Sokka! With confidence in her sails, Suki continued onwards. It was a new day, and she was ready to begin—or at least that’s what she thought. 

Suki found Ty Lee practicing her acrobatics inside the dojo. Despite the early hour at which they trained, Ty Lee always possessed boundless energy; her time at the circus had blurred the lines between which movements were humanly possible and which were not—she moved almost as if she was an airbender. Aware of Suki’s entrance yet not cognizant that she was in fact hanging upside down off a support beam , Ty Lee addressesd her cheerfully, “Looks like someone’s happy..”

Suki, watching Ty Lee intently as she swiveled down from the beam onto the ground, replied, “I’m finally going to master chi-blocking.” 

With a skeptical tone, Ty Lee retorted with a mere “Mhm...” Just as she endlessly joked about Zuko when she and Mai were together, Ty Lee had taken up the mantle of teasing Suki about Sokka since she joined the Kyoshi Warriors. She questioned, “Sure you aren’t thinking about Sokka?”

Suki was glad she had her makeup on, for it hid the blush on her face. She sternly reminded Ty Lee, “Remember why we’re here, Ty Lee. I didn’t wake up this early to talk about boys.”

Ty Lee joked, “Not about boys... about Sokka!” 

Suki shot Ty Lee a glare that was soon disarmed by the deceivingly innocent expression on her new friend’s face. Ty Lee started giggling, prompting Suki to scowl at her new friend. 

With a fast movement, Ty Lee jabbed her hand at Suki. Suki, caught off guard, stumbled back in her attempt to dodge it, tumbling down to the ground in her imbalanced state. Indignated, she asked, “What was that for?!”

A smile on her face, Ty Lee teased, “See? I knew you weren’t thinking about chi-blocking.”

While Ty Lee had been right, Suki wasn’t about to let her know that she was. Jumping up from the ground, Suki countered Ty Lee with chi-blocking’s signature quick and powerful jabs. 

Ty Lee gracefully dodged each and every one of Suki’s attacks. Thanks to her training in acrobatics, Ty Lee was nimbler and faster than any of the Kyoshi Warriors. 

Suki was an equal match for her, though: she matched Ty Lee’s agility with her fierce drive and strength. Despite her missed attacks, Suki did not tire one bit, continuing to strike at her trainer relentlessly. Although chi-blocking could turn long engagements into seconds-long affairs, Suki found that her practices with Ty Lee were anything but short. Oftentimes, she spent minutes trying to hit Ty Lee; when she did, nothing even happened.

So when Suki finally landed a few jabs on Ty Lee and nothing happened, she fell to the ground in a combination of exhaustion and frustration. She angrily exclaimed, “Why is nothing happening!?,” bitterly slamming her hands onto the ground.

Concern on her face, Ty Lee put a hand on Suki’s shoulder and spoke, “You’re almost there Suki... I know it!”

Suki, though, wasn’t buoyed by Ty Lee’s kind words. Throughout her entire life, she had never struggled to learn a combat technique so much; she became a Kyoshi Warrior when she was just 8 years old, mastering every single technique by the time she was 12—years earlier than any of her peers. Nothing before had been so hard! Angry at her own failure, Suki felt as her previous optimism left her, replaced by frustration and negativity. She dejectedly sighed, “Nothing is working... it’s been months and I still haven’t blocked your chi once!”

Her bubbly voice in stark contrast with Suki’s moody one, Ty Lee responded hopefully, “It took the girls a while too, Suki. You’re bound to figure it out sooner or later! “

Suki muttered, “Obviously not sooner...” Her voice now worried, Suki spoke, “I need to master chi-blocking by the ceremony, Ty Lee... how can I master chi-blocking if I can’t even do it?”

Ty Lee, taking a more serious tone, kneeled in front of Suki and encouraged her, “Suki, you know just as many pressure points as I do, and you can hit all of them! Once you get it, mastering it will be a piece of cake.” 

Doubtful of Ty Lee’s praise, Suki bemoaned, “What good is knowing all the pressure points and how to hit them correctly if I still can’t block a chi? It’s like my hits don’t do anything!—your hits are so light, yet they can stop so much energy from flowing...”

Ty Lee came to an epiphany. “That’s it!”

Shocked, Suki looked up at Ty Lee with wonder and hopefully asked, “What is it? What’d you think of?”

Her cheerfulness in full return, Ty Lee instructed, “Suki, stand up.” After the Kyoshi Warrior had reluctantly stood up (Suki was skeptical of Ty Lee’s sudden discovery) Ty Lee spoke, “Hit me.”

Suki was surprised: “What? But we aren’t sparring!”

Ty Lee, though, seemed convinced. More assertively, she commanded, “Do it! Hit me in any pressure point.”

Suki, doubt etched on her face, quickly jabbed Ty Lee in the pressure point on her shoulder, her form perfect and her strikes well-timed. Nothing happened.

Ty Lee seemed to grow happier at Suki’s apparent failure, much to Suki’s annoyance. The Kyoshi Warrior bitterly spat out, “What was that supposed to do?”

Ty Lee simply replied, “I figured out why you aren’t blocking my chi. You aren’t directing enough of your energy into your hits!”

Suki was unconvinced: “What do you mean I’m not directing enough energy? I’m supposed to hit you softly, aren’t I?”

Ty Lee mused, “Well, yeah... but you’re thinking about it wrong. To block someone’s chi, you have to use your own energy." Suki’s look showed Ty Lee she still didn’t grasp the idea, so she continued, “It’s like tying a knot—you gotta tighten it for it to hold, and that takes energy!”

Suki responded, “But if I put more energy, wont I hit you too hard?”

Ty Lee joyfully answered, “You don’t put more energy into the strike, silly! You have to feel your energy move through the strike!”

Suddenly, the meaning of Ty Lee’s words dawned on Suki—in truth, it wasn’t much different from what she had told Sokka, her fellow Kyoshi Warriors, or Ty Lee herself while training them. As a Kyoshi Warrior, Suki had always used her foes’ own attacks against them; feeling their very energy move throughout their bodies, Suki could deftly strike at the opportune moment, redirecting their own energy against them. Chi-blocking was just the opposite: instead of redirecting her enemy’s energy, she was directing her own. Suki’s dour mood improved immediately as she realized both the key to chi-blocking and the reason why she had struggled so mightily—the other Kyoshi Warriors had even told her of how different chi-blocking was!

With a newfound resolve, Suki quickly jabbed at Ty Lee’s pressure point again. Ty Lee, though, dodged. Suki, in shock, asked, “Hey! I thought I was practicing!”

Ty Lee, now hanging acrobatically from the beam spanning the ceiling, retorted, “You are!” Mischievously, she added, “You’re just gonna have to catch me!”

Once again, Suki and Ty Lee began their sparring session. With each miss, Ty Lee praised Suki, adding to the warrior’s resolve: “Nice! I can see the difference!” Suki and Ty Lee danced for minutes, the acrobat narrowly avoiding Suki’s many strikes. Buoyed by confidence and optimism, Suki didn’t tire at all—she refused to.

Finally, Suki trapped Ty Lee in a corner. Realizing her plight, Ty Lee tried to slide under Suki’s strike to escape; however, Suki made contact, quickly jabbing her shoulder as she slid under her.

Ty Lee tried to push herself up with arms, but found that she couldn’t—her right arm was completely limp. Despite her newfound immobility, Ty Lee beamed at Suki, who was smiling from ear to ear.

Excitedly, Suki exclaimed, “I got it!” After helping Ty Lee up, Suki thanked her teacher: “Thanks, Ty Lee. I couldn’t have done it without you!” 

Ty Lee joked, “Maybe next time Sokka’s here, you can show him!”

That earned another series of jabs from Suki. Ty Lee took it in stride, both of her arms now dangling aimlessly at her sides. 

The two’s joyful moment was broken, however, when Nakano, another Kyoshi Warrior, hurriedly opened the door to the dojo.

“Suki, a man from Chin has come with urgent news! He says that the Fire Nation soldiers have refused to leave and are ready to fight for control of the city—he’s asking for our help!”

Suki surprisedly replied, “A man from Chin? Asking for help here? They must really be in trouble... Kaneko, ready the others—it’s time for another trip.”

Nakano promptly left to wake up the other warriors. Suki and Ty Lee grinned at each other, ready for the upcoming training exercise.

———————————————————

“Oyaji, are you sure you still don’t want any of us to stay behind and help on the ship?”

“It’s okay Suki, I’ll be fine. Besides, the water is calm and I won’t have much to do except relax!”

Suki and Oyaji laughed, the two inside the captain’s room on board the Kyoshi Warriors’ only naval ship: a Southern Water Tribe cutter ship, courtesy of Hakoda after the war. 

Despite Kyoshi Island’s status as part of the Earth Kingdom, its people seemed more similar to those of the water tribe—from the blue clothing to the island’s egalitarianism to the Kyoshi Warriors’ syncretic fighting style, the influence of the nearby water tribe was evident in all aspects of life on Kyoshi. 

That influence only grew stronger after the war with the arrival of Chief Hakoda and his fleet; out of generosity (and gratitude to Suki for keeping Sokka alive), the chieftain gifted the island one of the ships out of his newly-constructed fleet during his return to the South Pole. In his words, the ship was “a symbol for both Kyoshi’s ancient ties to water tribe merchants and a toast to the future prosperity of their relationship.”

Although he was at first skeptical about the need for a naval ship on such a remote island like Kyoshi, Oyaji softened his stance once the Kyoshi Warriors made use of the ship: now painted a striking green with the white, red, and gold accents characteristic of the Kyoshi Warriors, the ship proved a fine transport for the elite fighting group when they were needed for affairs far from the island’s own villages, such as now. Furthermore, it indeed was a superior fishing vessel compared to what they had before the end of the war; thus, the ship quickly became Oyaji’s personal fishing craft when it was unused (though he would never publicly admit to that).

Slowly rising from his chair, Oyaji remarked, “We must be getting close now. Come.” 

He and Suki exited the captain’s quarters and climbed the stairs to the deck. There, the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors were busy readying the three rowboats hanging from the side of the ship. Nakano and Tomoe worked together to dislodge one, Ikeda, Akai, and Masako, another, and Ty Lee alone to dislodge the last one. The cliffs of Chin drew nearer by the second, the ship finally reaching the end of the fog that had obscured their vision. While the height of the steep coast was now clear, what lay on top of the cliffs wasn’t—the Kyoshi Warriors had no knowledge of the extent of the city’s fire nation presence, just as the fire nation soldiers had no idea of the impending Kyoshi Warrior attack. 

Suki turned to Oyaji and spoke, “We should probably get going now so you can hang back in the fog... don’t want any fire nation catapults heading your way.”

Oyaji, though, protested, “But it’s so far! Are you sure you’ll make it in your row-boats?”

Suki gave the elder a warm smile and reassured, “Don’t worry about us. We can handle ourselves.”

Oyaji returned the smile and bowed to Suki, formally wishing the Kyoshi Warrior good luck. He spoke, “Good luck to all of you! I know Chin hasn’t been our greatest ally all these years... but maybe you all can change that today!”

Oyaji’s hopeful statement was met by subtle snickering and laughter from the Kyoshi Warriors, even from Suki herself—when they had first left Kyoshi Island to help the war effort, they had been chased out of Chin within minutes of arriving! On their return trip, they had wisely avoided the town. 

Suki laughingly replied, “I’m not so sure about that one, Oyaji. Anyways, we’ll be leaving you to your fishing trip now.”

Oyaji indignantly retorted, “Hey! What are you suggesting?!”

When Suki and the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors all shot him a knowing stare, Oyaji’s indignation vanished, the old man’s mood turning sheepishly mischievous. 

“Well, if you‘re leaving now, I better go and get my gear.”

Oyaji gave one last goodbye to the Kyoshi Warriors before disappearing under the deck. Seemingly instantly, the mood changed onboard: it was all business now.

“Nakano and Tomoe, you two take this rowboat! Ikeda, Akai, Masako, take the big one! Ty Lee, get inside the last one!” 

The Kyoshi Warriors dutifully obeyed Suki, and soon everyone was in position. Suki climbed in her boat and turned to the others: “If we head straight to the landing point and don’t make too much noise, we’ll be fine! Is everyone ready?”

The looks on the Kyoshi Warriors’ faces made that answer clear.

With a smirk, Suki spoke, “Alright, let’s go save this lousy town...” 

A few of the Kyoshi Warriors chuckled. Sarcastically, Nakano joked, “If they let us into their town this time.”

When she saw that her words had not conveyed their intended motivational effect, Suki continued, “Let’s go teach the Fire Nation a lesson!”

With that, the Kyoshi Warriors lowered their rowboats into the ocean before detaching them from Oyaji’s ship. Before long, the three rowboats were gliding smoothly through the sea, rapidly approaching their landing point a ways off of Chin Village, a narrow beach under the cliffs. As they did, though, the sea worsened.

The sound of the waves and the wind combined to deafening effect, and the Kyoshi Warriors’ advanced slowed. Each rowed in silence, the only noise from them being the occasional gasp at a water splash. Ty Lee and Suki edged ahead of the rest, leading the way for their fellow warriors.

Even as water splashed onto their clothes and faces, Suki and Ty Lee rowed tirelessly. Suki’s face was one of marked determination, but Ty Lee’s was not—it seemed as if she was joyful. Just as another wave splashed into her, Ty Lee spoke, “You know, Suki... I wish I joined you guys earlier...”

Surprised, Suki was about to answer when she realized what she had told the Kyoshi Warriors before they descended: “Let’s go teach the Fire Nation a lesson!” How could she be so dumb! Suki mentally beat herself up over her insensitivity; Ty Lee was Fire Nation, and Suki had completely forgotten! She reassuringly stated, “Don’t worry about it. You’re here now, and that’s what matters.”

Ty Lee, however, had not taken any offense to Suki’s past words. She happily replied, “That wasn’t why, Suki. You guys have some great waterproof makeup! And it’s good for the skin! Now if only I had this when I was in prison... trust me, my skin was as the auras of those Fire Nation guards.” 

Suki could only smile. Despite their dangerous mission, Ty Lee was thinking about makeup! Though, that is what set her apart from both Suki and the other warriors. While the steely, cold-hearted determination of their namesake was on display of the faces of every other Kyoshi Warrior, Ty Lee’s expression was warm, bubbly, and seemingly excited!—her slightly excessive makeup (Ty Lee was more liberal than utilitarian with the makeup brush, face paint, and accents) probably contributed to her joyful expression, though. Based off of her friend’s unabashed optimism, Suki mused that chi-blocking must have made fighting, even against benders, easy for Ty Lee during the war.

Suki, on the other hand, had faced her fair share of adversity—some of that coming from Ty Lee herself! But that was now in the past, contained in her now-distant memories and reflected in the scowl now on her face. Until, at least, Ty Lee brought it up.

“Oh, cheer up Suki!” Her voice now quieter, Ty Lee muttered, “It’s like you guys turn into Mai whenever we fight people as a group. It’s like you guys bring each other’s mood down.”

“We’re about to fight the Fire Nation (her emphasis on the enemy now intentional), Ty Lee,” Suki sternly replied; sometimes, Ty Lee’s unrestrained optimism grew tiring. 

“So what? It’ll be fun! Your aura is soo dull right now. Y’know, maybe if you guys fought in some livelier outfits you’d be more optimistic!”

Suki sighed: “We’ve already been over this, Ty Lee. The headdresses and makeup can be a bit different, but that’s it.” 

Ever since Ty Lee had joined, she had been campaigning to sprucen up the Kyoshi Warriors’ uniforms: they were “too dark,” “too heavy,” or “too similar.” While she eventually stopped, Suki knew that Ty Lee would always have a problem with being part of a “‘matched set,” for she had told her all about her upbringing. It was for that reason that she beared with Ty Lee’s useless requests—if it were anyone else, she would have already told them off. Ultimately, Suki knew that Ty Lee would have to come to terms with her past by herself; as a Kyoshi Warrior, though, Suki hoped that she could show her the importance of being part of a team.

The two didn’t speak after that, the rest of the trip marked by an uncomfortable silence. Finally, they arrived on the beach, and Suki put aside her annoyance. She knew that they would soon be working in synchrony to defeat however many Fire Nation soldiers had decided to make Chin their new home; even after the novelty of fighting together had long disappeared, Suki and Ty Lee still both enjoyed each other’s company the majority of the time—after all, they were friends on both the island and the battlefield, through thick and thin. 

While the two waited on the beach for the others to arrive, Ty Lee tried to break the rapidly dissipating tension between them; she knew that Suki hadn’t taken her previous comments too kindly. She mused, “What’s up between Kyoshi and Chin, anyway?”

Suki laughed, “It’s a long story, Ty Lee. To be honest, even I don’t completely know.”

“They’ll definitely like us after we save them!”

The other two boats soon reached the beach. The rest of the Kyoshi Warriors climbed out, drying themselves off with their fans. Getting their attention, Suki spoke, “We’ll set off in five minutes. There’s a path up the cliff about a mile away that we can head up on.

Staring at the long, narrow beach Akai remarked, “That’ll take us a while... Suki, I’ve got a better idea.” Whipping out the rope which had tied one of the rowboats to Oyaji’s ship, she spoke, “What if one of us climbs up and ties the rope down? That’ll save us a lot of time.”

Suki pondered on the idea... were the cliffs too steep? The rope too short? Her thoughts, however, were interrupted by Ty Lee’s enthusiasm: “Ooh! I’ll do it!”

Suki asked, “Are you sure? These cliffs are pretty steep.”

Ty Lee was undaunted, though. “Pssh. This is nothing... I’ve done way more dangerous stuff at the circus!”

Suki looked at her doubtfully, but she still trusted Ty Lee’s judgement. She conceded, “Fine. But we’ll be here to catch you if you fall.”

Ty Lee didn’t need to be told a second time. Within seconds, she was a scaling the cliffs; within minutes, she was almost to the top. Suki and the others looked at her in astonishment; Ikeda marveled, “If we had her during the war, we could’ve beaten the Fire Nation ourselves!” 

Suki smiled at the sheer optimism Ikeda’s words—despite her realistic viewpoint on life, even Suki saw the core truth to Ikeda’s words: with Ty Lee on their side, they would have been unstoppable! Now that she was with them, who could stop them?

The Kyoshi Warriors looked up in awe after the bundle of rope fell to the ground, secured from the top, mere minutes after Ty Lee’s departure. Suki looked at the others and volunteered to go first; in no time, all of the Kyoshi Warriors were on top of the cliffs. Chin lay but a short walk away, just behind some rolling hills.

The Kyoshi Warriors took position behind a large rock, Chin directly in front of it. Suki spoke, “Masako, take a quick look at the town... we don’t want to stumble upon the entire Fire Nation army, do we?”

Tomoe was doubtful: “Here, in Chin?”

Masako confirmed Tomoe’s doubts and spoke, “Suki, you might wanna take a look at this,” with a tone of incredulity in her voice. She handed her the monocular, and Suki too was surprised. Through the long scope, Suki saw that it was a Chin soldier who guarded the wall!

“Why did that man call us if Chin’s soldiers are still here?”

Ty Lee mused, “Maybe the Fire Nation left? Let’s go ask him.”

The Kyoshi Warriors left their cover and walked towards the city cautiously—for all they knew, it could be a trap. Once they arrived, though, they realized that Chin’s meager military force was far too incompetent to stage a trap.

Upon seeing the Kyoshi Warriors, the soldier jumped for joy—literally—and embraced each other. The Kyoshi Warriors, on the other hand, only grew more confused. Once they were at the gates, Suki asked, “A man from your village told us that your town was in dire need of our help. Is that true?”

The soldier spoke, “Oh yes, it’s true! We have been conquered by the Fire Nation! Those soldiers came back and took my house from me... the horror!” His voice now sorrowful, the soldier continued, “I used to be the mayor of this great city, but now I’m just a lowly guard.”

Suki’s confusion only grew: “Why do only Chin soldiers guard the gates if the Fire Nation conquered the village? How many of them are there?” 

“Oh. There were five.” 

“How many soldiers does Chin have?”

“Hmm... we probably had about a hundred soldiers at the time... see, they had attacked us before, but Avatar Aang saved us!”

Behind Suki, multiple of the Kyoshi Warriors chuckled—how could one hundred soldiers lose to just five? Suki, though, knew that the town still needed their help. 

“Where are they?”

“Oh, they’re probably practicing their fighting on the cliff right now. They make us all watch them deface the statue of our great leader every night, and then have us rebuild it in the morning!”

Nakano interjected, “Forget about statues, is anybody hurt?”

“No, not yet. That would break our agreement.”

Ikeda spoke incredulously, “Your agreement? You surrendered to these people?”

Meekly, the former mayor replied, “Well... sort of... see, they were just so scary, we felt that we had to agree with them! They agreed to not hurt anyone and pillage the town in exhange for our protection and money!”

Suki mused, “Huh. Seems like they got a pretty good deal...”

After getting directions to where the Fire Nation soldiers practiced, the Kyoshi Warriors entered Chin. Their experience with the mayor at the gates was interesting to say the least; while walking towards the cliffs, the warriors hotly debated whether the five soldiers they were about to face would be as scary as the mayor described, or if the small Chin militia was so incomptent it couldn’t defeat them.

Their time spent walking seemed to prove the second option: the Chin soldiers, who were supposed to protect those from the Fire Nation, didn’t even acknowledge the Kyoshi Warriors—it seemed as if their previous distaste towards the group was gone. Those that did welcomed them, happily giving them directions to the soldiers. Perhaps their contempt for the Kyoshi Warriors was surpassed by their dislike for the Fire Nation.

Suki, though, remained vigilant. As they approached the cliff, Suki warned, “Stay ready, girls. We don’t know how powerful these guys are.” Gradually, the playful mood of the Kyoshi Warriors wore down to one of steely determination, each of them ready for the upcoming fight.

That was good, for the Kyoshi Warriors found out that five soldiers actually were fearsome enough to take on a small town. As they turned onto the street that approached the cliff, they saw the five Rough Rhinos approaching, each on their humongous Komodo Rhinos. Both parties stopped in a standoff, the tension between them palpable.

With a sneer laugh, Colonel Mongke mocked, “I’ve heard about you... looks like a bunch of little girls have come to free this town!”

Suki barked orders quickly as the Rough Rhinos readied themselves for battle: “Girls, get ready and be careful!” The Kyoshi Warriors all whipped out their fans, taking a battle stance. 

Colonel Mongke ordered, “Rough Rhinos, split up and burn this town to the ground! It seems as if this village has broken its promise...” With that, the group broke off, each Rough Rhino going down a side street with nefarious intention—the only one who stayed in his place was Colonel Mongke, who stared the Kyoshi Warriors down fiercely. 

Suki yelled, “Girls, split up and stop them before it’s too late! I got this one.” Like the Rough Rhinos, the Kyoshi Warriors took to the streets, fires already erupting across Chin. Silently, Suki hoped that the other Kyoshi Warriors would be able to stop the Fire Nation soldiers before anyone got hurt. As a result, it took her a few seconds to notice that Ty Lee remained by her side.

She turned to her and asked, “Ty Lee, go help the others!”

Ty Lee, though, was steadfast: “No, Suki. I’ve heard of this guy back in the Fire Nation... you’ll need my help.” Ty Lee was trying to make up for her previous comments, and Suki knew it. 

Knowing she could not convince her otherwise, Suki nodded. The two girls turned to face Colonel Mongke, who was stroking his goatee in sadistic anticipation. “Finally ready to fight, I see. Don’t worry, though—this battle will be quick.”

Immediately, Mongke charged with his Komodo Rhino, shooting fire blasts at them along the way. While Suki and Ty Lee dodged the attacks, the buildings around them did not. With their backs now to the amphitheater, the two readied themselves once more.

This time, the girls did not attempt to dodge Mongke’s charge; instead, they jumped up onto his Komodo Rhino. Bewildered, the animal continued his charge towards the cliff—on top, the two girls fought Colonel Mongke. He was an equal match to the two of them, skilled in both firebending and hand-to-hand combat. 

Things changed, though, when the Komodo Rhino charged straight off a small ledge, tumbling down to the bottom of the amphitheater. All three were thrown off, but Suki landed exceptionally hard on a stair and blacked out. 

Despite her acrobatic background, Ty Lee too was shaken by the fall; she had hit the temple, and was slow to get up. Upon seeing her friend, she yelled, “Suki!”, rushing to her aid; however, such concern turned to determination when fire blasts forced her to acrobatically dodge them—Colonel Mongke, like Ty Lee, had escaped relatively injury-free. 

“Looks like your friend won’t be here to help you,” grinned Mongke as he shot more fire blasts at Ty Lee, each one increasing in intensity. Separated from Mongke by a good few yards, Ty Lee’s chi-blocking was useless; her head still fuzzy from her crash, she also knew acrobatics would be too dangerous. Using her fans to defend herself, Ty Lee edged backwards, steadily approaching the edge of the cliff.

Mongke, knowing he was in the ascendency, heightened his attacks in number and ferocity; only when Ty Lee was just near the edge, tired, and scared, did he begin to play with his food.

“You know, I hope you can swim. I hear there are unagi in these parts.”

Ty Lee’s previous optimism was gone, sweat dripping down her staunchly determined face. Mongke had slowed, even stopped his attacks... she had a window... 

With a burst of speed, Ty Lee acrobatically charged Mongke. She dodged fire blast after fire blast, completely erasing the gap between them. Just as she was about to chi-block Mongke, though, he grabbed her arm. She squirmed helplessly; Ty Lee knew that she could not escape from Mongke’s grasp. He forcefully pushed her to the edge of the cliff, Ty Lee straining mightily all along the way. 

He smiled devilishly at her and taunted, “You were so close.” Raising his hand, Mongke ignited a spark that now turned into a bright flame. “Now, I’m afraid you have nowhere to run.” 

Terrified, Ty Lee closed her eyes, ready for the worst.

The worst never came.

Just as Mongke prepared to strike, Suki chi-blocked him. Shocked, Mongke collapsed to the ground, the flame sputtering into the wind. With a square kick, Suki knocked the colonel off of the cliff. Ty Lee fell to the ground in a heap, dazed from the experience. 

Breathlessly, Ty Lee whispered, “Thanks... that was a close one.”

Suki warmly smiled in reply: “Don’t mention it.” She stretched out a hand to Ty Lee, helping her up.

Once up, Ty Lee asked, “Do you think he survived?”

Suki shrugged. She glanced over the cliffs and laughed: the colonel, with half of his body limp, was slowly swimming to shore. 

“Oh, he’ll be fine. Maybe.” 

The two turned around to go help the others, only to find the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors approaching them from the top of the amphitheater, slowly pulling the rest of the Rough Rhinos in chains. It appeared that the other four had not been as impressive in battle as Colonel Mongke. 

With the Kyoshi Warriors now fully reunited, Tomoe asked, “What do you want us to do with them?”

Suki warmly replied, “Leave them here. Me and Ty Lee will watch them. Tomoe, you take the others down to the beach a little east of here—you’ll find a chi-blocked firebender there.”

Tomoe grinned, and she and the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors departed to get some extra chains before they apprehended Colonel Mongke.

Suki and Ty Lee glanced at the other Rough Rhinos, marveling at their strange garb. Despite their distinct differences in appearance, they all shared one commonality: being knocked out and tied up.

Ty Lee sheepishly smiled at Suki and remarked, “Hey, Suki?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry about what I said earlier... being a part of a team is great. Your auras are all great!”

Suki smiled: “I knew you’d come around eventually.”

The other warriors found Colonel Mongke asleep on the beach. By sunset, all five of the Rough Rhinos had been rounded up in chains at the amphitheater. In the meantime, Suki had learned all about Chin’s justice system (and all of its new additions since Aang had last faced justice). As she left Chin, she actually felt a smidgeon of sympathy for the prisoners; they would have to be extremely lucky to receive banishment when they spun the Wheel or Punishment.

Though, knowing Chin, the Rough Rhinos would probably escape scot-free. Suki just hoped that they would be smart enough to not attack the town again... for if they did, the Kyoshi Warriors would be back once more. 

———————————————————

“Akai, can you come here please?” yelled Suki, who was frantically searching for something inside a cabinet. It was just after dawn, yet Suki seemed to have all the energy in the world. 

Tomoe quietly cracked open the door and asked, “What is it Suki? Akai’s busy right now.” Upon fully entering the room, Tomoe was shocked; Suki’s makeup was half-done, her headdress was missing, and she looked incredibly anxious. “Woah! You okay?”

Suki paid her no mind: “Have you seen the sponge? I wanted to clean the Kyoshi statue before the induction ceremony...”

Akai, now clearly noticing Suki was worried, spoke calmly, “Suki, Ty Lee and Akai are cleaning it, remember? Ikeda and Masako are about to paint it.”

“What? Since when?”

Tomoe sat down on Suki’s bed and sighed, “They started about an hour ago. Don’t you remember?”

“An hour? What’s taking them so long? The ceremony is so soon! Do they need my help? I should’ve cleaned it myself...” Just as Suki was about to exit her room in her disheveled state, Tomoe stopped her, grabbing her arm forcefully. 

“Suki. You need to stop worrying. We’re here to help. Besides, it’s just a pointless ceremony.”

“A pointless ceremony?! Tomoe, these girls are getting their Kyoshi Warrior uniforms!”

“Eh. It’s pretty overrated. Besides, you and me both know that they’re too big for kids.” 

Suki smiled at the thought of her experience during her own induction ceremony. She was a year younger than Tomoe, but the two were incredibly close friends. They had gone through induction together, and both of them had to wear the oversized uniforms and suffer through the same intense training.

“Still, though. It’s important that their first night as Kyoshi Warriors is a good one. If not, who knows how many will quit?”

“Suki, nobody is quitting. Did we quit? Those first few days were pretty bad, weren’t they?”

Suki feigned ignorance: “What? They were great!”

Tomoe broke out into laughter. “Suki, you crack me up. We were both crying and sore after the first day... come to think of it, your second day was even worse than mine!”

Suki knew what Tomoe was talking about—her blood flew to her cheeks, painting them red even through the disheveled white face paint.

“You were already so tired,” Tomoe managed to speak through intense laughter, “and then Foamy broke up with you! I’ve never seen you so angry!”

While Suki may have been raging against Tomoe in her mind, her face simply showed her mortification. She weakly muttered, “I guess you’re right...” Suki smiled at Tomoe, easing her fellow warrior’s concerns.

Tomoe got up off of Suki’s bed and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. She spoke confidently, “Suki, don’t worry about this ceremony. You’ll do great, and we’ll be there to help you if you need it.”

Suki warmly smiled at Tomoe and embraced her old friend tightly. Ultimately, Tomoe perfectly represented why Suki was so worried about the upcoming ceremony: these young girls would be forging friendships deeper and more meaningful than they had ever done before—as their teacher, Suki thought it her responsibility to set her future warriors on the right path. Jokingly, Suki chided, “His name isn’t Foamy, by the way.”

Breaking free from their embrace, Tomoe mocked, “Suki, even he calls himself that.” With a mischievous smile, she mused, “Didn’t know you were still so protective of him, though...”

Suki blushed once more, but her embarrassment was now mixed with indignation. “Very funny, Tomoe...” Suki mumbled. As Tomoe turned to leave, Suki couldn’t help but feel relieved at escaping her mockery. Despite her relationship with Sokka, Tomoe still teased her about her actions as an eight year old!

At the thought of Sokka, however, Suki’s face dropped; it had been months since she had last seen him in Ba Sing Se, and she dearly missed him and all of his quirks. Tomoe turned as she exited and observed this, her face seeming to rise even higher.

“Oh! I almost forgot. Oyaji wanted me to tell you that he received a message from Chin saying the Avatar was in town. Oyaji said the letter stated that he and his friends said they might drop in on Kyoshi when they get some free time.”

“What? Aang’s in Chin?”

“Yep. I’ll leave you to it, though.” With a wink, Tomoe continued, “You should freshen up, though, if I’m being honest.” Tomoe chuckled as she left, leaving Suki alone in her joy—if Aang was nearby and with friends, as the letter had stated, that meant that she would soon see her friends again! Even better, she would soon see Sokka! Suki’s fears about the upcoming ceremony vanished, replaced by unbridled anticipation: when would they come to Kyoshi? Suki, lost in her thoughts, realized that they may even come today! As such, her frantic search for the sponge morphed into a frantic rush to get ready—for the sunset ceremony, she told herself. In reality, though, she frantically readied herself for the possibility that she would be seeing Sokka again.

As sunset neared, Suki was finally ready for the induction ceremony. After she freshened up, she and the other Kyoshi Warriors had spent the day preparing the village for the induction with Oyaji’s help: green streamers crisscrossed the main street of the village, and bright lanterns lined the houses. All the houses were gleaming in the sunlight, each having been cleaned in anticipation of the ceremony. Towering above the entire village, the totem to Avatar Kyoshi shone brightly, spotless and adorned with new paint. 

The village itself was bustling with a tangible excitement—the last induction ceremony had been eight years ago, when Suki herself became a Kyoshi Warrior! While the villagers anxiously awaited the ceremony’s beginning from their houses, Suki anxiously rehearsed her speech in a quiet room inside the town hall: the Kyoshi Warrior would not tolerate imperfection in herself, especially on a day as important as this! Although Tomoe had eased her nerves in the morning, Suki found that they roared back into her mind as the ceremony drew nearer... she would have to give a speech!

“As Kyoshi Warriors, we uphold the legacy and memory of the great Avatar Kyoshi. Her strength, wisdom, and courage still inspire us, centuries after her passing...,” muttered Suki. Despite having memorized the speech five times over, she still felt the need to practice; she would have kept rehearsing if it weren’t for Ty Lee, who interrupted her rehearsal with a knock.

“Pssst... Suki... It’s almost sunset. We’re waiting for you. Are you ready?”

Suki, initially startled by Ty Lee’s interruption, shook herself steady. “Yeah, I was just practicing... give me a second.” As she heard Ty Lee walk away, Suki willfully transformed her anxiety into determination: she had faced harder situations before, and she would face harder challenges in the future—this was but a mere ceremony. Steeling herself, Suki stared at her reflection proudly, finally ready to welcome some new, young Kyoshi Warriors into the fold.

Suki exited the small room and climbed down the stairs, arriving at the main hall. There, she found the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors all waiting for her.

“Look who finally decided to show up,” teased Tomoe.

Suki simply smiled. She asked, “Is everyone ready? Are the girls in position?”

“Don’t worry, Suki. Oyaji has everyone lined up and ready outside,” assured Ikeda.

“Alright... let’s do this. Single file!” Suki called out. Once all was ready, Suki pushed the doors and exited. 

The doors of the town hall opened, and Suki was struck by the sight: villagers lined the streets, anticipation etched onto each and everyone’s faces—even Foamy’s (though he wasn’t foaming yet)! After a hitched breath and a momentary pause, Suki continued, the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors following closely. As the warm sunset cast light directly onto them, the villagers cheered loudly, the warriors being the pride and joy of Kyoshi Island. As the Kyoshi Warriors approached the towering statue of their namesake, the crowd formed around their back, itching forward to see the ceremony. 

Finally, Suki saw the young girls in front of her: they would soon be the next group of Kyoshi Warriors. She smiled warmly at them as she passed, hoping to impart the confidence which was so key to being a Kyoshi Warrior; most of the girls, though, mirrored Suki’s past anxiety—except for Koko, that is, who was beaming with prideful exuberance.

The Kyoshi Warriors climbed up the stairs of the newly-constructed stage that surrounded the towering statue of Kyoshi. Once they all were on top, they spread out, forming a sort of protective line in front of the statue: after all, they were the island’s protectors. Suki stood front and center, staring out at the entire village in front of her. 

After the crowd had gone silent, Suki tried to begin her speech; however, she found her voice quiet, and the words struggled to escape. Before her rising panic enveloped her, though, Suki found Oyaji’s reassuring eyes warmly staring at her. Just as Oyaji had comforted her when she herself was being inducted into the group, Oyaji now reassured her when she was the one holding the ceremony. 

With renewed confidence, Suki cleared her throat and proudly spoke to the village: “Today, we are gathered here for something incredibly important... Just as the great Avatar Kyoshi created this beautiful island on a sunset centuries ago, we do something just as beautiful on this sunset.”

“Today, we welcome the newest Kyoshi Warriors! These girls in front of you represent the strongest and bravest of this island’s future. By choosing to become members of the Kyoshi Warriors, these girls have selflessly chosen to defend this island, this village, and people all around the world from injustice, violence, and tyranny!”

Suki smiled as the villagers cheered; even more gratifying, however, was the growing confidence she saw in the young girls in front of her.

“As Kyoshi Warriors, we uphold the legacy and memory of the great Avatar Kyoshi. Her strength, wisdom, and courage still inspire us, centuries after her passing. Today, these young girls honor her great legacy.”

“However, Avatar Kyoshi was not an Avatar of long speeches... she was an Avatar and woman of action! So it is in her spirit that I call forward these young girls... future Kyoshi Warriors, step up and receive your uniforms, marks, and headdresses.”

At that moment, the young girls ahead of Suki formed their own single file line, just as Suki’s own Kyoshi Warriors had done prior. One by one, the young girls came to receive their rites. Tomoe handed them their uniforms, Nakano marked them with the three colors of the Kyoshi Warrior makeup—white, red, and black—and Suki placed their ceremonial headdresses on them. Finally, each of the girls returned to their previous spots, their uniforms in hand.

“These girls now bear the uniform, marks, and headdresses of the Kyoshi Warrior—before they can truly become warriors, though, they must know the significance of what they bear. Kyoshi Warriors, repeat after me!”

“White, for the readiness to act and protect!”

In a loud chorus, the present and future Kyoshi Warriors repeated, “White, for the readiness to act and protect!”

“Red, for our honor and loyalty towards each other and those in need!”

“Red, for our loyalty towards each other and those in need!” yelled the others, slightly louder.

“Green silk, for the bravery that flows through our veins!”

Even louder, “Green silk, for the bravery that flows through our veins!”

“Gold, for the honor of the warrior’s heart!”

Now yelled by the entire village, “Gold, for the honor of the warrior’s heart!”

Suki smiled. “Today, this village has witnessed the beginning of a new age. An age without war, yet still with conflict. A time of peace, yet still with danger. A new age, with new warriors ready to better it. Congratulations, young girls. You are now Kyoshi Warriors!”

In front of Suki, the watching villagers all erupted into raucous celebration. Foamy started to foam, the young girls hugged and congratulated one another, and Oyaji smiled proudly at Suki and the other Kyoshi Warriors. Ty Lee soon grabbed Suki’s arm, warmly smiling at her friend. 

“You did great, Suki!”

“Oh, it was nothing.”

“It certainly was something,” remarked Masako. 

“C’mon, let’s celebrate!” exclaimed Ikeda. 

The Kyoshi Warriors were soon off of their pedestal, intermingling with the villagers in the main street. Everyone was filled with mirth, and the happiness inside the village was seemingly at its peak—that is, until Koko spoke.

Koko had spotted them before anyone: “It’s Aangy!”

Suki’s heart skipped a beat. As she took in Koko’s words, she heard the familiar roar of Appa. Now looking up, Suki beamed with joy: it was Aang! Therefore, it was Sokka! The villagers erupted into raucous celebration once more, ecstatic over the Avatar’s apparent return (of course, Foamy was a bit too ecstatic).

Although Aang was Suki’s good friend, his return to Kyoshi wasn’t why she was ecstatic—her fellow warriors knew that. As Appa quickly settled to a landing a ways away (he was quite low to the island to begin with, for some reason), Suki could not help herself from bursting into a run—she had to see Sokka again!

It was a bit awkward, then, when only Aang, Katara, and Momo dismounted from the great bison. Suki was still happy to see them, of course, but she also struggled to contain her dismay over Sokka’s absence.

“It’s so great to see you again, Suki!” beamed Katara as the two embraced each other.

“Huh. Seems like we just missed a party,” remarked Aang. “It’s good to see you again, Suki.” Aang and Suki exchanged a hug, but at that point Suki couldn’t hide her disappointment.

As she scratched a jubilant Momo, Suki mildly spoke, “I’m so glad you guys came to Kyoshi. Where’s Sokka?”

At that, Aang’s expression turned a tad—was Suki correct in calling it nervous? It was strange, to say the least. Aang, rubbing his head, began to mutter a response; Katara, though, interjected, “He’s busy in Chin right now. Apparently the Rough Rhinos came by again?”

Suki laughed, putting aside her disappointment at Sokka’s absence—besides, he was in Chin! He’d surely swing by soon enough. She responded, “Yeah, but we kicked them out soon enough.”

Aang joked, “We got a lot to catch up on!” Turning his head to the massive crowd anxiously awaiting him, Aang mused, “I guess it’ll have to wait for later though.”

Suki turned and felt a bit of sympathy for Aang and Katara—compared to how the villagers acted before the induction ceremony, the crowd had to have been ten times more excited! As she left, Suki flashed Katara a reassuring smile; Katara answered with one of her own before turning to face the crowd with Aang.

As she bemusedly watched the two deal with the crowd together, Suki felt happy for them—though she had long suspected that there was something different between them, Suki was still pleasantly surprised when they announced their relationship. Absent-mindedly, Suki wondered how nice it would be to join them and Sokka on Appa. 

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Suki turned to the Kyoshi Warriors, who were patiently waiting; she smiled, impressed that the new inductees hadn’t rushed to Aang. 

As if she was reading her mind, Koko innocently asked, “Can we go see Aangy?”

Suki laughed: “Of course. Don’t stay too long, though, and come back to the town hall when you’re done.”

The newly-inducted Kyoshi Warriors squealed in delight as they ran towards Aang. Turning around and inspecting her fellow warriors, Suki asked, “Where’s Ty Lee?” 

They all grinned—for reasons unbeknownst to Suki. Akai sputtered, “She wanted to change into a dress before the festival... at least that’s what she told me.”

Suki’s temporary confusion about their grins melted away, for Akai’s answer was certainly something Ty Lee would do. The nighttime festival was bound to be even more exciting thanks to the Avatar’s arrival, and Ty Lee would certainly want to look her best. Come to think of it, Suki also wanted to look her best—night was falling quickly, and the festival would begin in less than an hour.

Suki mused, “Hmm... freshening up doesn’t sound too bad. What do you say girls? You guys want to come inside?”

The rest of the Kyoshi Warriors murmured in agreement with Suki. Soon enough, they all approached the town hall, leaving the large crowd behind; Suki was a bit confused, however, by their slow pace—the Kyoshi Warriors seemed to be lagging behind her.

Suki opened the door and found Ty Lee directly in front of her, ready to exit. She was wearing a brilliant green dress that flowed to her feet—it was beautiful. In her characteristic bubbly voice, she asked, “What are you guys doing? I thought the festival was happening soon?”

Suki replied, “We just wanted to freshen up and change. Don’t worry, we’ll be quick.” 

“Ummm... okay. I guess I’ll wait here for you guys.” Tomoe flashed a questioning glance at Ty Lee, who nodded with a smile in response. Suki was a bit perplexed at the exchange, but thought nothing of it as she climbed the stairs ahead of her fellow warriors... 

Suki slowly opened the door to her makeshift room, and her confusion only grew: there was another Kyoshi Warrior inside! She had her back turned, and Suki didn’t recognize her—she was taller than any other of the Kyoshi Warriors, and her hair was unusually short. She seemed strangely familiar, and an intense happiness bubbled within Suki...

“Umm... excuse me, but who are you?”

“You know my type... I’m sarcastic, think I’m hilarious, and I’m traveling with the Avatar.” As the Kyoshi Warrior spoke, the growing joy within Suki rose intensely to her chest. The Kyoshi Warrior turned towards Suki and asked, “Don’t you remember me?”

It was Sokka!

———————————————————

“Suki, I can take off my makeup myself!” exclaimed Sokka, who had grown tired at Sukki’s fussing. Suki, though, happily ignored him.

“Katara told me you were in Chin? Why are you in a Kyoshi Warrior uniform?”

“Heh. I kind of told Aang and Katara to lie to you... I thought it’d be a nice surprise!”

“Well, it definitely was surprising...” Looking back, Suki realized the numerous hints she had missed: Aang’s nervousness, Ty Lee’s disappearance, the Kyoshi Warriors’ slow walk, Ty Lee’s dress... it seemed as if everyone knew Sokka was here! “And a bit funny, too.”

“Thanks,” bragged Sokka, “I do try.” Sokka locked eyes with Suki, the happiness clear in his own eyes. Quickly, he kissed her before she could react. He warmly sighed, “It’s nice to see you again, Suki.”

Suki smirked. “Likewise, boomerang boy.” 

Just as she leaned in for another kiss, the door opened with a knock. Ty Lee poked her head in and asked, “Are you guys coming? The festival already started.” Upon realizing that she had interrupted Suki and Sokka, though, she meekly spoke, “Oops. My bad,” and quickly left the room. 

Suki laughed, but Sokka seemed a bit disgruntled. He mused, “I guess we should probably get going... don’t want any more people bursting in.”

Realizing the opportunity he created, Sokka quickly declared, “It’ll be faster if you let me take off my makeup, you know. I think I’m pretty much an expert at this”.

Suki resigned, “Fine... I’ll meet you in the hallway.” Grabbing her dress and makeup, she walked out the door and left Sokka to his own devices. Now out of the room, Suki couldn’t stop her happiness from bubbling over her—is this what Ty Lee felt all the time? She could have got an answer to that question, for she spied Ty Lee waiting for her at the end of the hallway. She cast a warm smile at her friend, happy that she had helped Sokka surprise her.

Suki entered Ty Lee’s room, and within five minutes she was ready. After quickly removing her makeup and uniform, Suki lightly applied some makeup and got into her dress; it was the same one she had worn so long ago in Ba Sing Se, and it brought a deluge of memories forth as she put it on. Finally, she exited the room and waited across Sokka’s door—Ty Lee had gone, so she found herself staring at the floor in boredom. Suki counted at least ten minutes before the door opened, Sokka finally emerging from her room dressed in his traditional water tribe garb.

As Suki looked Sokka up and down, she felt a blush rising—good thing she had put on makeup! Being away from Sokka for so long had made their reunion a bit of a shock for Suki: he was a taller, a bit broader, and his hair was slicked down instead of being in its usual ponytail (Suki smirked, for she had asked him to leave his hair down to no avail during the war). Sokka was handsome! 

“Uhh... Suki? You okay?”

Suki was shocked out of her admiration by Sokka, who was now waving his hand in front her face.

“Uh, yeah. I’m fine. I was just admiring.”

Suki smirked as Sokka blushed momentarily, but she soon became playfully annoyed when Sokka began to brag: “Well, I do know I’m a lot to take in.”

“In your dreams. You should count yourself lucky,” joked Suki. Sokka pecked Suki on the lips in retaliation, and the two shared a laugh. Sokka offered her his hand, which she gladly took.

The two finally exited the town hall, both astounded by the festivity of the village: in all of her years, Suki had never seen it so vibrant! Aang, who was being accosted by a number of villagers, spied the two as they exited. Cordially excusing himself, the young airbender approached the two.

“Thanks for finally showing up!” Rubbing his head, Aang whispered, “Now I have an excuse to get away from the crowd.” Aang subtly gestured behind him, and Suki laughed as she observed the raucous crowd of villagers who demanded Aang’s attention.

“Sorry about that, buddy,” remarked Sokka, “Kyoshi Warrior makeup is a bit hard to take off. Aang grinned at the two, happy that Sokka’s surprise had worked. 

“He is quite the expert, you know,” teased Suki. “Where’s Katara?”

Aang motioned to one of the houses, where Ty Lee and Oyaji were happily chatting with Katara. Suki hoped that Katara and Ty Lee could become good friends despite their previous differences, just as she had. 

“She got tired of all the crowds. I don’t blame her!”

Suki playfully asked, “You two must be having a lot of fun nowadays, hm?”

Aang blushed, Sokka groaned, and Suki laughed. She playfully elbowed Sokka and told him, “Oh, grow up, Sokka. Don’t worry Aang, you shouldn’t care about what this genius thinks.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

Sokka, his mood worsened at the mention of his sister’s relationship with Aang, glumly remarked, “Seems like the crowd is getting a bit impatient.” Up ahead, a large crowd steadily approached the three: while most were for Aang, many surely wanted to congratulate and praise Suki for her role in the ceremony.

Aang’s mood dropped, resigning himself to more small talk: “I guess I’ll leave you guys to it.” Glumly, he joked, “Avatar duties call.”

Sokka, though, seemed unconvinced. He observed, “Some of those aren’t for you, airboy. Suki, seems like you’re gonna be a celebrity tonight!”

Suki groaned. She had lived with all these people for her entire life, so why did they feel the need to talk to her now? Though she knew they had good intentions, Suki couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed that she soon would be accosted by the villagers, leaving her no time alone with Sokka. It was so unfair!

Suki, a Kyoshi Warrior, did not stand for unfairness; suddenly, an idea struck her mind. As Aang put on a warm smile and greeted the crowd, Suki whispered, “Psst. Sokka. Let’s go.”

“What?”

“Let’s go!” She grabbed Sokka’s hand, forcefully pulling him with her. Soon enough, the two were alone in the Kyoshi wilderness. The approaching crowd was surprised by the two’s sudden departure, but none pursued them. 

“What about the festival?”

“We can come back later! I’m not trying to deal with a crowd right now.”

“But the food looked so good! And I’m so hungry!”

Suki channeled her inner Toph, playfully punching Sokka. Now in a clearing, the two stood alone, the dull festivity of the village solely interrupting the serene silence. Sokka asked, “Where are we going?”

Suki’s mind was set. She offered her hand and sternly commanded, “Follow me. I wanna show you something.”

The two walked away from the festival, climbing a winding path that led up the mountain. Sokka, of course, complained the entire way up—Suki didn’t mind though, for she found it funny. Gradually, the two made their ascent up the mountain. The noise of the festival dimmed as they climbed higher, the village growing smaller in the distance; now, it was just Suki and Sokka together. Now surrounded a calm silence, Suki found Sokka’s complaining notably absent—he had grown quiet during the walk, and now silently chugged along with Suki, his hand interlocked with hers.

Suki glanced at Sokka, who she found staring at her with a wondrous expression. She blushed, but Sokka‘s eyes remained transfixed on her face.

She waved her hand in front of her face, hoping to avert Sokka’s intense gaze. Even though she had looked at Sokka the same way just hours prior, Suki found it a tad disconcerting to be the sole object of Sokka’s attention—and admiration. “Look where you’re going, big guy... or else you’re gonna fall.”

Quietly, Sokka responded, “I don’t think so.” Sokka was wrong; almost immediately, he tripped on a rock and tumbled to the ground. Suki broke out into laughter, and Sokka grumbled as she helped him up. 

“Ouch! How much longer?”

“Just a couple more minutes.”

Night had completely fallen now, the pale light of a crescent moon illuminating their path. The two had been gone for hours on their hike—it seems like Suki broke her promise to return and face the crowds. She didn’t mind, though; up here alone with Sokka, she was completely contented. Finally, the two reached the summit of the mountain: a small clearing provided a nice place to rest, and the two sat down after their hike. 

On top of the mountain, the entire island was in view—it was beautiful. Mountains rose high above the valleys and coasts, a few of them capped by a thin layer of snow. The autumn forests shone in the soft light of the moon, the vibrant colors still visible even at night. Small lights dotted the island, houses scattered across the coastline. Directly in front of them, the village stood out vibrantly, the lights and festivity still obvious even from the mountaintop. The moon now rested in front of them in the nighttime sky, the shimmering crescent watching over them all. 

Sokka softly spoke, “It’s beautiful, Suki,” a wistful tone marking his words.

Suki, knowing Sokka more than even he thought, recognized this—she had heard the same wistful tone when they crossed the Serpent’s Pass, and when they watched the play on Ember Island.

“You okay?” Suki gently asked, warmly cupping his cheek in concern. Sokka averted his gaze, staring at the floor.

“I’m okay... I’m just... grateful,” confessed Sokka, his eyes returning to Suki’s with both warmth and sadness.

Suki looked at the moon; while Sokka had told her a bit about Yue, she didn’t know the full extent of what happened in the South Pole...

“Are you thinking about Yue?”

“What? No! Well, kind of. Sort of. Not in that way, don’t worry.”

Suki encouragingly smiled at Sokka—she knew she had his heart. Sokka would always remember Yue, but Suki hoped that she could help him move past his feelings of inadequacy that plagued his memories of her. Even though she never knew Yue, she knew she had a tremendous impact on the young water tribe boy she stared at: Sokka would always be kind, funny, and most of all protective—a trait, which she deduced, partly stemmed from Yue’s death. 

“You can talk to me about her, Sokka.”

Now averting his eyes to the ground once more, Sokka began picking at some rock at his feet; he was clearly uncomfortable speaking about Yue, especially so with Suki! Nevertheless, though, he opened up.

“Well... it’s just that... sometimes... sometimes I get scared that I’ll end up losing you. I know you’re strong and you can fend for yourself, but sometimes I just can’t help it.” With a wistful smile, he continued, “Strong women in my life aren’t always the luckiest...” the sadness clear in his voice. 

Suki was about to speak when he spoke once more: “And even if I don’t lose you like I lost Yue, I worry that we’ll grow apart. I really missed you, Suki.”

Suki placed her hand on Sokka’s, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I missed you too, Sokka. A lot.” Thinking back on the past few months of her life, Suki found it hard to remember a time where she hadn’t missed him.

With a wry smile, she joked, “And you don’t have to worry about losing me—in any way. I have the Kyoshi Warriors to keep me safe.” She continued, “And besides, it’s not like there’s anyone here that stands a chance against you...” Suki spoke softly as she delivered a light peck to Sokka. When she drew back, Sokka was staring at her with the same admiration he had done so previously. This time, though, Suki didn’t feel nervous. 

“Oh, I don’t deserve you.”

A wry smile on her face, Suki playfully confirmed, “Yeah, I guess I’m just generous.”

The two embraced, kissing each other in blissful peace. All of Sokka’s worries disappeared, while Suki’s past stress melted away completely. Atop the mountain, it was just them. No villagers, no Kyoshi Warriors, no Team Avatar—it was just the two of them, together in that moment under the moonlight.


	3. The Tale of Iroh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Though he would rather sit at home and drink tea all day in Ba Sing Se, Iroh has work to do and people to meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: This one’s a bit different from the others (and shorter). Hope you enjoy!

Hmm... ginseng or jasmine today? Jasmine seems nice. Green or black, though? Too hard to choose.

Iroh rose out of bed, rubbing his eyes wearily. He cracked his back and stretched, relieving his aching joints; as it turned out, the relatively lax physical demands of tea making allowed Iroh to return to his jolly, chubby self of before—while he grew merrier, his body certainly did not. He fumbled for his teacup, one of many tea-related items on his cluttered night stand. Once he found it, Iroh absent mindedly poured some jasmine tea into his cup. 

Black it is... a morning kick would be nice. It was cold! These metal teapots lost heat so quickly... Ah, that’s better. Now it’s warm—but not warm enough. Oh! The black jasmine certainly had a nice aroma...

Iroh slowly sauntered out of his room, teacup in his hand. Like Iroh himself, there was a carefree sense of calm throughout the entire house. He had since taken up Team Avatar’s old home in the Upper Ring, finding it more than enough for a humble, simple old man like himself. As he gradually awakened from his half-asleep stupor, Iroh aimlessly searched his house for his jasmine flower.

Almost the perfect temperature now. One or two more petals? Maybe three? Three wouldn’t hurt. A pleasant fragrance is half the tea itself.

Iroh meandered back into his room, setting his teacup back on his bed stand. He went to the bathroom, running hot water all over his face; even so, it didn’t wake him up. Lazily, he slipped into his robes and shoes, readying himself for the work day. Even though Iroh loved making tea for himself and others (mainly himself, if he was being honest), he also loved sleep—especially so before his morning tea. 

Ah! Much too cool. Already? The aroma is very nice, however. Could it be better? Perhaps. Four petals? That was a lot... oh well. Still isn’t doing the trick, though.

Iroh lit the lanterns around his house even as the sun cast warm light through his house’s many windows; he loved an abundance of light in his abode, for he felt it warm and nurturing—so did all of his plants. He diligently watered them, caring for each according to their myriad different specifications. One quick sweep of the house later, and Iroh was done with his pre-breakfast chores. Finished, he now debated whether he wanted to eat breakfast at his house, or at his tea shop: he wasn’t particularly hungry, and the Jasmine Dragon was bound to be busy, for it was the Winter Solstice festival today... a wistful expression passed over Iroh’s face. 

Finally, the perfect temperature. A chi-enhancer could help, wouldn’t it? There were plenty in the shop. Wow, the aroma was nice! Hmm... maybe a dash of honey would add some texture and more substance to the smell. 

Ultimately, he decided to eat breakfast at the shop, primarily because he didn’t have any food that he liked at his house anyways. Cradling his tea cup, Iroh pushed out, content to walk to the shop himself. He bid the chaise driver waiting in front of his house away kindly; since Iroh first moved into Team Avatar’s old home, the two had struck both a symbiotic relationship and friendship—Iroh paid the humble man (Iroh had first met him in the Middle Ring) handsomely for rides to the Jasmine Dragon, and Iroh didn’t have to walk! To be honest, though, the man appreciated Iroh’s advice and Iroh simply enjoyed the company the he provided. 

Steady temperature. Steady fragrance. Both would be improved once at the shop, though. Couldn’t drink too much. 

In the soft light of the morning, the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se was beautiful. Luscious green trees flanked the paved streets, while lanterns cast a warm, ever-dimming light onto the paths as their candles slowly burned out. Birds chriped all around in the trees, a wild sparrowkeet bravely landing on Iroh’s arm!—he always remembered to carry birdseed with him, and the sparrowkeet happily ate from his hand as a result. As the sun slowly rose from its hiding place behind the Earth King’s Palace, Ba Sing Se’s Upper Ring buzzed to life. Ostrich-horse-drawn chaises whizzed past Iroh, undoubtedly carrying various government officials and dignitaries to their daily posts. Iroh smiled as the hustle and bustle returned to the streets, observing the city’s vibrancy with joy and a small sense of pride.

Ah, a bit too cool now. Was the fragrant smell fading? It needed heat, a chi-enhancer, and honey—sooner rather than later. 

Finally, Iroh approached the Jasmine Dragon; his teacup now only three-quarters full, Iroh quickened his gait, fueled by the desire to perfect and finally finish his morning beverage.

Four petals wasn’t enough. The aroma was weakening... though that may just have been the wind. Another petal would be better in any case, in addition to the honey and chi-enhancer.

The Jasmine Dragon, illuminated by the warming light of the rising sun, stood out brilliantly; the green walls reflected the light vividly, their brightness seemingly inviting customers into the store. Situated in the middle of a plaza, directly behind a calm fountain and twin staircases, the tea shop was a true center of attention and activity—both in its immediate surroundings, and the entire city itself! Iroh’s legendary tea making exploits had spread around the entire city (perhaps even farther than his military feats), and every day people clamored for the chance to drink such revered tea. However, the Dragon wasn’t the hectic, bustling rush of tea and bodies so early in the morning; at least, not yet. Instead, Iroh’s tea shop was warm and cozy, the only noises being the conversations of the workers who had arrived early.

Would the jasmine flowers outside suffice? Hmm... probably not a good idea. Doubt they were clean. 

Iroh wordlessly entered the shop, warmly smiling at the startled employees: it was still early, and they had just arrived—to see Iroh so early was a shock! With a simple nod, Iroh dismissed the workers to continue their work. His employees, most of them now long-time workers, knew of Iroh’s silent morning routine, all of them returning to their conversations. Iroh walked to the back of the shop, covertly clipping a jasmine petal from the decorative flower on the counter. Just after grabbing a jar of honey and a chi-enhancer from a supply cabinet, Iroh disappeared behind a door marked “OWNER ONLY.”

A fifth petal dropped in. A spoon of honey would help, if stirred properly. Ah, that improved the texture and sweetened the aroma at the same time. Now, the chi-enhancer just needed to dissolve. 

The room was dark, so Iroh lit the lanterns in each corner of the room with his firebending. Now with dim light cast all over the room, its features became clear: contrasting the cluttered kitchen and the bustling front of house, the small dark room was quiet, clean, and austere: it was completely bare, save for the four lanterns mounted on the walls and a small shrine directly across the door. Iroh walked to this shrine and quietly sat down, his eyes locked onto the little monument. He lit two incense sticks sitting in a cup nearby, and the object of the shrine was illuminated: it was a framed illustration of Iroh’s son, Lu Ten.

Setting his teacup down beside him, Iroh stared intently at the shrine, sadness rising behind the jolly old man’s face. Quietly, Iroh spoke, “Hello, my son... I hope you can hear me.”

“It is the winter solstice, and I was hoping to speak with you today.” While Iroh went to silently pay his respects to his son nevery single day, he hoped that he could communicate with him on the day of the winter solstice. When no response arrived, Iroh sighed, the sadness on his face finally revealed. He continued, “I wish you could be here, son. The war is over, and the city is beautiful... your cousin Zuko is the Fire Lord!” At the thought of Zuko, Iroh faintly smiled. “I miss you, Lu Ten. Even though life has moved on, I still am not ready.” Tears in his eyes, Iroh sighed, “If only I protected you...”

Suddenly, the incense sticks next to the shrine flickered—not because they were dying out. Iroh seemed to know this, staring shocked at the now burning sticks. He turned to look at the photo of Lu Ten, a wistful smile now on his face. “You can hear me.” A tear finally breaking free and falling down his face, Iroh declared, “I will see you again, my son... I promise. Whether in this life or another, I will see you again.”

Rubbing the tear off of his face, Iroh picked up his teacup and slowly rose. He extinguished the incense sticks and lanterns and left, the room once again shrouded in darkness. As Iroh closed the door, the incense sticks caught flame once more...

Iroh stared out at the Jasmine Dragon, now frantic with movement. Iroh’s prediction had been right—the shop was crowded. In fact, Iroh even saw a line stretching out into the distance! Employees rushed back and forth, stacking cups and trays on top of each other as they served the never-ending flow of guests. His warmth returning, Iroh took a sip of his tea while in thought. 

Finally, perfect—the aroma, the taste, the texture—just perfect.

Iroh, having finally perfected his morning tea, was ready for the challenging day ahead. One of his employees, holding three trays’ worth of orders, suggested to Iroh, “I think we need some help!”

Iroh had just been thinking the same thing. 

———————————————————

Dear Upper Ring Residents of Ba Sing Se,

Do you love tea? Are you good with people? Are you interested in working for the world’s premier tea maker? If all of these apply to you, the Jasmine Dragon is the perfect place for you! Now hiring!

Sign up for an interview for a position at the famous tea shop, located at No. 28, 8th District, Upper Ring, Ba Sing Se.

Iroh wasn’t too excited. 

The boy who sat in front of him looked about Zuko’s age, wore extravagant clothing far more befitting of someone like King Kuei, and had a cocky grin plastered on his face. He had shown up fifteen minutes late to his interview, dubiously citing an important meeting with a government official as his excuse.

Iroh didn’t believe that. However, he put his misgivings aside and began the interview.

“I believe some introductions are in order: I am Iroh, owner of this tea shop. And you?”

“I’m Shen Jianlin, son of Wang Jianlin. Maybe you know him?” Shen stared at Iroh, a smug expectancy etched onto his face. “He’s quite an important official, you know.”

Iroh groaned inside—ever since he put posters up in the Upper Ring, he had been flooded by a mountain of applications from the sons and daughters of rich socialites and officials, each applicant hoping that their social status would gain them a free job. Few of them liked tea, and even less of them knew how to work.

“Err... I’m afraid not. Has he been to the Dragon?”

Shen seemed offended by the question—did Iroh not know about his father’s high status? He questioned, “What?” With a dismissive tone, he added, “Why would he come here? My father only visits Upper Ring-exclusive establishments.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.” With a teasing tone, Iroh asked, “Tell him that he’s missing out, won’t you?” 

Shen dryly laughed at Iroh’s joke, but he didn’t find it funny. Like his father would ever visit some place!—even if it was the best tea shop in the city, it still served people from the other rings! He had plenty of alternatives. 

As if Iroh read Shen’s mind, he moved forward with the interview. Clearing his throat, he continued, “I think that’s enough for introductions. Now Shen, I’ll start with the most important question: do you love tea?”

Shen shuffled uncomfortably in his seat. Glancing at his hands below the table, he unconvincingly recited the speech he had transcribed hastily before the interview: “Well, throughout my life, I’ve always loved tea. My... (Shen struggled to decipher his own handwriting) affectations?... no—My affection for the beverage has grown primarily because of its medicinal properties, soothing qualities, and easy production...”

Shen droned on for minutes, his answer (more like an essay) vividly describing how his love for tea had grown since birth and culminated with his application for a post at the Dragon. Though Iroh knew his answer wasn’t genuine, he still listened intently; to be honest, Iroh was impressed by just how much speech Shen managed to fit on his hand! 

When Iroh finally grew tired of Shen’s eloquent dictation, he gently cut him off: “Shen. Shen! I think that’s more than enough for that question. It’s clear you love tea a lot!” With a sly grin, he continued, “at least, according to the speech on your hand.”

Shen was shocked by Iroh’s observation, woefully unaware of his obvious recitation. He began to stammer a response, but Iroh pressed on. “Now for the second question: why do you want to work here?—and Shen, no speeches this time,” joked Iroh as he flashed a wink at the now-blushing boy.

Realizing he had been found out, Shen sighed l, “Well, to be honest... I mean... working here would get me points with the girls. But I don’t really want to work here. Now, I know that sounds bad, but it’s just my father—see, he says I need to get a job, but I don’t see why!”

“Maybe he wants you to gain some experience?”

“What experience would serving tea get me? I’m supposed to be a big shot in the government, not some barista!” 

“In my life, working with people has always given me valuable experiences—you see, you deal with all kinds of people in service.”

Seeing the truth to Iroh’s sage words, Shen remarked, “Hm... Maybe you’re right. I guess I’m just a bit annoyed by all the rejections. If I can’t even get a job now, how am I supposed to work in the government when I’m older?

“In life, all it takes is a positive outlook to find opportunity. When you came in here, I could already tell you weren’t serious about this job. You are convincing yourself that you aren’t good enough even before you began!”

“I guess you’re right... but not one of the places I’ve applied has accepted me!” Behind the snobby and cocky veneer, he was just a regular teenager.

“Young man, you can get a job. Maybe not this one, but I know that if you put your mind to it, you’ll be able to find one.”

“Like what?” asked Shen, his eyes searching and hopeful. 

“Hm... Have you considered becoming a scribe? That speech of yours was great!” 

“Not really... I don’t know if there are even any bookmakers in the Upper Ring!”

“Do not wall yourself in from the opportunities around you, Shen,” joked Iroh. “If experience is truly what your father wants you to gain, then a job in the Middle Ring is no different from one up here.”

“But I’d get made fun of!”

“Work is a reward in and of itself... if you put your mind to your work, you will not care about those who joke about you. Plus, the money won’t hurt,” joked Iroh. 

“Hmm... you know what? I’ll try. I assume I’m not getting this job, then.”

“I’m afraid not, young man. You won’t be an employee here, but you’re certainly welcome as a customer!”

Iroh laughed heartily, and Shen soon started laughing with him. Although Shen’s interview had completely wasted his time, Iroh didn’t seem to care. 

———————————————————

HELP WANTED!!!!!

Calling all aspiring tea makers of Ba Sing Se! Learn from the best under the tutelage of Iroh, owner and founder of the world famous Jasmine Dragon! 

Sign up for your interview now via mail, and the Jasmine Dragon will provide free transport for you from the Middle Ring! Located at No. 28, 8th District, Upper Ring, Ba Sing Se.

Iroh rubbed his eyes, yawning loudly; it was prior to dawn. As he gradually shook himself out of his half-asleep state, Iroh quietly resolved to not take interviews so early. 

Leaning on the counter, Iroh drank his morning tea, this time ginseng. He quietly took in the vivid aromas and taste, hoping that he would be able to complete his tea in complete solace.

Iroh was mistaken, for a knock sounded at the door seconds later. With an audible sigh, Iroh stopped sipping his tea and went to open the door.

When he did, Iroh was surprised—unlike himself, the boy standing nervously in front of him wasn’t tired in the slightest. He was short, seemed a bit younger than Zuko, and wore thick glasses on his face. He carried a book bag, seemingly heavy judging by the way the boy carried it. 

“Hi,” shyly spoke the boy.

“Good morning! Come in, please come in.” Closing the door, Iroh directed him to one of the many tables in the Dragon.

Iroh looked pleasantly at the boy, who seemed to be in awe. He glanced all around the tea shop in some sort of trance, a bemused smile on his face. 

“I am Iroh, the owner of this tea shop. And you?” Iroh’s greeting broke the boy’s trance, leaving him flustered and blushing. 

The boy stammered, “Uh... my name’s... uh... Ryu... it’s... it’s an honor to meet you, General Iroh.”

“Oh, please, you don’t have to call me General. My military days are long past.”

Meekly, Ryu answered, “Oh. uh... sorry. I thought since you freed the city and all...”

“It’s okay. If you insist , call me Grand Lotus Iroh. I prefer that title.”

“Of course, of course. My bad. I’m honored to even have the chance to interview for a job here! The Dragon is so famous, and the tea is so, so good... my friend from the Upper Ring gave me a sip of your ginseng tea once, and it was the best! Wait a minute... are you drinking ginseng right now?!”

Iroh smiled, nodding his head. He was glad Ryu had broken free from his shell—the boy was truly showing his exuberance and curiosity now that he was more comfortable.

“You have an eye for tea, Ryu,” chuckled Iroh. “I’m honored by your praise... here, let me get you some.” Iroh got up and went to his kettle, leaving Ryu in a near-bursting anticipation—it wasn’t everyday one had the chance to drink tea from the Jasmine Dragon, but from Iroh himself?! This was amazing!

Returning with another now-warm cup of ginseng tea, Iroh happily served Ryu and sat down.

“Now that we have our tea, let’s start this interview. Tell me a little about yourself.”

Taking a sip of Iroh’s tea seemed to calm Ryu—no, it seemed to energize and embolden him! His nervousness completely gone, Ryu exclaimed, “This is even better than what I had before!” Iroh shot him a prodding glance, and Ryu ended his gushing: “Oh yeah. Interview time. So... I’m Ryu, like I already told you... I’m from the Middle Ring and I’m preparing to apply to Ba Sing Se University this spring.”

“Very interesting. What subject would you like to study?” 

“What I would want? Hmm... probably history if anything... what my mother would want? Definitely engineering.” Iroh looked a tad confused. “Funny, right? I don’t even think I’m that good at engineering, but she thinks it’ll set me up for the future. Something like “the walls need lots of reconstruction...” I would rather be a teamaker!”

“I suspected so... could you explain to me how and why you love tea?”

“As a matter of fact, I can!” Turning around and digging into the bag behind him, Ryu continued, “See, my mom thought this would ruin my chances, but I figured you’d appreciate it.” Finally, he reached what he was looking for, heaving the objects out of his bag and onto the table: what Iroh had originally thought to be textbooks turned out to be glass jars full of tea (well, two out of the three were tea—the other was a strange dark, almost black color.

Gazing longingly at the jars, Iroh remarked, “You were right. I’ll always appreciate some tea!”

“That’s good, because I have some right here! I know it’s not as good as yours, but would you like some?”

Iroh laughed—would he like some new tea? “Of course! I’ll always be up for a good cup of tea.”

Ryu’s nerves quickly returned: Iroh was about to try his drinks! As he passed the cups towards Iroh, Ryu scowled—the drinks weren’t warm, and those glass jars didn’t seem to keep in the heat as advertised on the Ba Sing Se newspaper... Glumly, Ryu murmured, “Sorry, they’re pretty cold now... they probably won’t taste good.”

“Ah, that’s no matter!” Iroh warmed the cups one by one with his hands and grinned, “Firebending does have its uses!”

Rubbing his head, Ryu awkwardly spoke, ”I guess I forgot you could firebend for a second.”

Iroh didn’t seem to notice Ryu’s embarrassment; he was more focused on the drinks in front of him! On his left, a warm orange-ish tea—probably oolong, if Iroh had to guess. Directly in front of him, a nice and fragrant green tea. To his right, a distinct nearly black beverage that even Iroh didn’t know of!

“Which one should I try first?”

“Um... any of them, really. That’s an oolong, that’s a green tea, and that’s my own creation... maybe stay away from that.”

“I’m intrigued, Ryu.” Taking a sip of the oolong, Iroh was surprised at the tea’s quality; even though he didn’t feel like one, Ryu was a quality teamaker!

“Mmm... this is some great tea, young man.” Iroh smiled as Ryu’s face now beamed with pride. Now picking up the green tea, Iroh sipped and mused, “Very nice... you know, a bit of aging would go a long way with this one.”

Ryu nodded quickly, his growing joy evident in his expression: Iroh liked his tea! His joy, though, quickly morphed to apprehension as Iroh moved onto his strange concoction. Iroh recognized this and asked, “Should I be worried about this one?”

“No! Of course not... it’s just something I make for myself... you don’t need to drink it if you don’t want to.”

“Is it tea?”

“Well, kind of. Not really.” Fidgeting in his chair, Ryu remarked, “I don’t really know how to explain it. It’s different. I made it from some rare beans I got from a trip to the university, so I guess it isn’t tea. They were uh... they were from near the Si Wong Desert, so it’s pretty hard to get them...”

Ryu hadn’t noticed that Iroh had already resolved to try his strange concoction out. Taking a sip, Iroh was surprised: it was very strong, a touch sweet, and bitter. Above all, it seemed very energizing. Iroh’s face must have illustrated his plethora of feelings, for Ryu’s face fell. He did not see, then, Iroh’s growing smile.

“Is it... is it bad?”

“Ryu, you’re hired!”

“What?!” exclaimed the boy, jumping up in shock.

Iroh’s smile grew and he remarked, “It certainly is different. Very different. But to make a drink this unique takes skill and passion! I’d love to have you as an employee here.”

Ryu didn’t seem to register Iroh’s words, for he continued to stare at him in dumbfounded amazement.

“When can you start?”

“Oh! Oh my gosh, you’re serious?”

Iroh nodded, expecting an answer. 

“Uh, I can start tomorrow. But um, I probably should have told you earlier, but I can only work mornings and nights. I have to study during the day.”

Iroh flashed Ryu a knowing look; “It’s your mother, isn’t it?”

Ryu sighed, “Yeah, it is. She only let me apply for this job because I said it wouldn’t hurt my grades and it’d look good on my resume.“

“Well, I won’t interfere with your studies, or else your mother will be down my throat!” laughed Iroh. “Besides, I think working those hours will be fine—you’ll certainly have more time to teach me how to make this strange drink! By the way, what do you call it?”

“Erm... well the beans are called “coffeas” by the locals, so I just started calling it “coffee.””

“A strange name for a strange drink.” Finishing his “coffee”, Iroh stood up happily. “I look forward to learning about it already!”

——————–—————————————

TEA-MAKERS AND WAITERS WANTED!!!

Love tea? Love people? Want a chance to work in Ba Sing Se’s UPPER RING??? Come work at the Jasmine Dragon, the best tea shop in the city!

Send in a request to Iroh, the best teamaker in the Earth Kingdom, at No. 28, 8th District, Upper Ring, Ba Sing Se for a chance at an interview!

Iroh still had a couple posters left over from his last employee recruitment drive. After the grand reopening of the Jasmine Dragon, Iroh made the mistake of putting posters in all rings, including the Lower Ring. 

See, it wasn’t a mistake because Iroh didn’t want Lower Ring employees—he certainly did. Rather, it was a mistake because he couldn’t cope with all the applications! Within a day of putting his first poster up, Iroh had a hundred applications. Within a week, five thousand. After the grueling experience of combing through each and every application, Iroh didn’t have the heart to go through it again. 

As a result, Iroh’s new strategy for finding talent in the Lower Ring was a bit more personal.

While he knew the Pao Family Tea House was not the home of great tea (not even good tea, for that matter), Iroh knew he could certainly find tea enthusiasts at the restaurant: the tea shop‘s reputation grew with its meteoric rise to acclaim many months ago, attracting tea lovers from far and wide across the Lower Ring (even if the tea wasn’t good!).

Iroh smiled when the tea house finally came into sight. Good memories flooded his mind as a wave of nostalgia swept over: despite his past struggles, Iroh actually liked living in austerity and anonymity. As such, he enjoyed his visits to the Lower Ring, the only place where Iroh could regain his lower, everyday status. That status would serve him well in a place like Pao’s tea shop where it could get crowded.

And crowded it was. Very, very, very crowded. The hustle and bustle of the Lower Ring was nothing compared to what Iroh found inside the tea shop—he could hardly move!

From what Iroh saw, business was booming inside the tea shop. People sat at tables with their tea, people leaned on counters with their tea, people huddled near each other with their tea, and people hardly had enough space to drink! And for what? Subpar tea? Iroh had expected to find people at the tea shop, but not this many! Maybe the tea had improved since he left.

Iroh, presented with the shop’s new layout and large crowd, stumbled aimlessly through the shop, hoping to find a bit of space. Though he couldn’t find any space in the sea of patrons, Iroh found something even better: out of the corner of his eye, he spied a Pai Sho match! Carefully passing through the shop, Iroh eventually arrived at the Pai Sho table; two old men were playing an animated game of Pai Sho, a crowd that now included Iroh watching intently. 

After only watching a few moves, Iroh knew he could easily take either of the contestants. Iroh would have challenged them, if not for the voice that interrupted his thoughts.

“Hey, aren’t you Lee’s uncle?”

Iroh didn’t register the words for a second, but soon broke out of his daze and looked up: across the Pai Sho table stood Jin!

“Lee’s uncle? Uh—yes, of course I am! Wait a minute, you took my nephew on a date!”

“Meet me at the counter, let’s catch up!”

The girl, who Iroh realized was now Jin, disappeared into the crowd, and soon Iroh reluctantly did too—he had wanted to see the end of the Pai Sho match! After another struggle to move through the crowd, Iroh finally arrived at the counter next to Jin. 

“It’s Jin, right?” warmly asked Iroh.

“Yeah, it is. What’s your name? I never got to know.”

“My name is I—Mushi!”

Jin raised her eyebrows quizzically. “Mushi! What a nice name. How have you been? Where’d you and Lee disappear?” She leaned in and whispered, “The tea really got worse here after you left!”

“Well, me and Lee left Ba Sing Se just after the Fire Nation arrived. We, uh... we went back home! But now we are back in the city!”

“Oh, that’s wonderful! It wasn’t too bad when the Fire Nation was here, but I’m glad that’s over now. Did you hear about how the Firelord’s brother and the King of Omashu freed the city?”

Iroh chuckled, “Yeah, I heard a lot about it.” He was going to come clean to Jin when she suddenly thought of something.

“Hey, are you gonna make tea here again? Is Lee here too? Oh, this is great!”

“Erm... no, my nephew isn’t here right now.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. Is he with his traveling circus?”

“Circus? Uh... of course! Yes, they’re in the city now! Listen, Jin, I should probably—“

“Mushi?!? Is that you? It is you!” Pao was coming to the counter with a steaming kettle of tea and was staring wide-eyed at Iroh.

“Pao! It is nice to see an old friend again.”

Setting his kettle onto the counter, Pao relaxed and began questioning his old employee: “What brings you back to my tea house? We all thought you disappeared!”

Jin answered, “Mushi left the city when the Fire Nation invaded, but now he and Lee are back!”

“Good to hear, Mushi. Maybe you’re interested in an executive assistant position again?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I still have my own tea shop!”

Pao scowled. “Hmph. I guess Quon will be happy now...” His face turning into a smile, Pao exclaimed, “but you should have seen his face when you disappeared! He came here asking if I stole you! He hasn’t been back since!”

Iroh and Jin heartily laughed with Pao; Pao’s laughs ended the earliest—directly in front of him, he saw a delighted Quon approaching the counter. Iroh and Jin, seeing Pao’s expression rapidly change, turned around.

Upon seeing Iroh, Quon smiled gleefully. Upon seeing Quon, Iroh grew worried. “Pao!” boomed Quon, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you!”

“Thankfully,” Pao muttered under his breath. His spite was lost on Quon.

Now taking his spot next to Iroh, Quon joked, “You’re not doing too bad for yourself, Pao.” 

“Thanks.”

“It’s been a great few months for me, I’ll have you know. Tell him, Iroh!”

Iroh looked a tad flustered. “Uh... yes, it certainly has.” He turned to look to Pao and Jin—both were staring at him, dumbfounded expressions on each of their faces. 

“You’re Iroh?! The Iroh?!” asked Jin, the wonder consent in her voice. Pao was still too shocked to speak. 

“I am. I should have told you—“

“That’s amazing! You freed the city! Wow, I really knew Iroh and his nephew!... wait a minute, if you’re Iroh, who’s Lee?”

“Well, you see, he’s my nephew Zuko, the new Firelord.”

If Pao and Jin weren’t completely shocked before, they were now. Pao’s mouth gaped open in surprise, Jin’s eyes widened into saucers, and Quon stood gloating beside Iroh. Iroh, however, was not gloating; he was mortified! As bystanders got wind of their conversation, the shock spread throughout the entire restaurant.

Iroh, realizing his predicament, acted quickly: “Pao, I was hoping to catch up with Jin. We’ll be in the back.” He motioned to Jin, and the two disappeared through the door to the kitchen. The excitement palpable behind the wall, Iroh felt a bit guilty at leaving Pao to deal with his mess.

Now sitting at a table without a crowd, Iroh felt calmer. “Zuko and I used to sit and drink tea here when I worked here.” Iroh chuckled, “Good times.”

“I still can’t believe you’re Iroh! And that your nephew’s the new Firelord! I went on a date with the Firelord!”

Iroh laughed heartily. “Surprisingly, not many girls have gotten that privilege.”

“He is cute... but yeah, I kinda see why. But still! How come you still come here if you have your own tea shop in the Upper Ring?”

“If I’m being honest, I think life down here is more exciting... I am also hiring for my tea shop and hoped I’d find some tea enthusiasts here.”

“Your tea shop must be amazing! How do you even find people good enough?”

Iroh smiled, “I get lucky. I certainly didn’t think I’d see you when I came here today.”

“Aw, thanks! Wait a minute... why’re you lucky because you saw me again?”

“Well, I realized that you would be a perfect employee at my tea shop, the Jasmine Dragon. What do you say?”

“Me? Working at your tea shop? In the Upper Ring? Really?”

“Really.”

“That would be so amazing! But I’m already interviewing for a job here... and the Upper Ring is pretty hard to get to...”

“I don’t want to force you, if you’re more comfortable here.”

“Hmm... will I get to see Lee—no, Zuko, if I work there?”

Iroh chuckled, “My nephew is quite busy with his new position... but yes, you’ll be able to see him if he visits.”

“That does it! When can I start?”

Iroh smiled, happy that his latest employee search was finally coming to an end; furthermore, he was sure Jin would make a great employee at the Dragon. His joy made way for guilt, however, when he saw Pao trudge through the door to the front. To be honest, he looked shell shocked from the crowds.

Iroh just hoped he wouldn’t be too mad over losing another employee. 

———————————————————

It was noon. He would be there any minute now. Was he late again? The last time he was late, things didn’t turn out too well.

Iroh sat on a finely-embroidered rug, lost in his thoughts. While his surroundings were luxurious, comfortable, and peaceful, Iroh was anything but; as time slowly paced on, his mind darted to and fro with anticipation. He reached for the three kettles on the table in front of him, checking once again if they were still warm. Ryu had told him they would keep tea hot for much longer than his old kettles, but Iroh wasn’t fully convinced.

For someone as wise and experienced as Iroh, it seemed a shock even to himself that he felt so antsy. He knew that absolutely nothing would happen this time, yet still grew anxious as the time creeped past noon. He knew the man he was meeting as an acquaintance and friend, so he had nothing to fear. He certainly had gone through harder things in his military career, especially so during the past year.

Maybe it was just the occasion of it all. Iroh was back in the Royal Tea Palace, about to meet with King Kuei. Though Iroh had no qualms about freeing Kuei’s city and restoring him to power, the thought of serving him tea—his very own tea—amazed Iroh (and somewhat terrified him, though he controlled his fear).

A creaking door jerked Iroh from his thoughts. Quickly standing up and turning around, Iroh saw King Kuei in the entrance. With a quick bow, Iroh greeted the monarch: “King Kuei! It is truly an honor.”

“The honor is mine, Grand Lotus Iroh,” exclaimed Kuei as he mirrored Iroh’s bow. “But, if I’m being honest, we don’t need all these formalities.”

“Of course, of course! I’m glad you could make it. Where’s Bosco?”

“I didn’t want a mess here in the tea palace. It’s okay, though—Bosco doesn’t like tea.” Taking his seat on the rug in front of Iroh and placing his bag down, Kuei apologized, “Sorry for being late. I haven’t been here since I stopped taking the palanquin, so I underestimated the time it’d take to get here.?” 

“No worries! I wasn’t waiting for long. As someone who’s used palanquins before, I’m happy that you’re getting out more now.”

“Right? Walking is so much nicer! The world around us is truly beautiful.”

“Yes, it very much is,” smiled Iroh. “Shall we eat?”

“Of course! I brought a little something, courtesy of the Royal Chef.” Digging through his bag, Kuei finally brought out a fine porcelain container and set it on the table. “Apparently you like braised turtle duck with some added spice?”

Immediately opening the container, Iroh cheerfully remarked, “It’s my favorite! I actually met your chef a few weeks ago at my tea shop. He’s a very nice man... Yi, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Yi is his name. He’s great. He’s been the chef for as long as I can remember, too... you know, after traveling the Earth Kingdom with Bosco, I realized just how good his food is!” 

“From what I had at those banquets, I agree!” heartily chuckled Iroh.

“Now, I’m lucky to have you serving your tea here!” Iroh was flattered by Kuei, who continued, “I’m glad you chose to stay in the city. It’s nice to have someone I can trust close by.”

“I’m honored by your words, Kuei.” You can always come to me for advice, if you for some reason want my advice.”

Kuei joked, “Oh, you know you give great advice. But I won’t be bothering you too much—I’ve realized that I need to take more action on my own these past months.” 

“They say a wise man makes his own decisions... but don’t be afraid to ask for advice when you need it, Kuei.” Reaching to grab a kettle, Iroh asked, “Which tea would you prefer—green, ginseng, or white dragon?”

“Hmm... I think I’ll take your advice on this one. To be honest, I’m not much of a tea connoisseur.”

“Well, ginseng is my personal favorite... but you can never go wrong with a good green tea! And the white dragon tea is to die for!” Iroh chuckled, “Almost literally, for me.”

Kuei raised his eyebrows, his face a combination of surprise and intrigue. “In that case... I’ll take a cup of the white dragon tea, please.”

“It is my pleasure,” spoke Iroh as he handed Kuei the cup. 

“So how did you almost die for this tea? Seems like an interesting story!”

“Well, it wasn’t my brightest moment. Are you familiar with the white jade plant?”

“The poisonous one? I remember studying it in a botany textbook... yes, I do remember them. Wait, don’t they look very similar to the white dragon bush?”

Iroh meekly nodded. “You see, that was the problem I had.”

Kuei gulped in surprise. “Oh my! Were you okay?”

Iroh laughed, “Just about. I have no regrets!”

“I can relate to that. I don’t know how many times I almost died while traveling my kingdom. Who knew it was such a dangerous place? Or maybe it was just me. I ate inedible berries more times than I could count, and that’s after I studied botany whole back here!”

“Living off the land is hard, but it does have its rewards.”

“Absolutely! I never knew how diverse and beautiful the land I ruled was! I really was sheltered as King. But I definitely prefer this food.” Taking a sip of Iroh’s tea, Kuei’s eyes went wide in astonishment: “and this tea! This is amazing—it’s the best tea I’ve ever had!”

“The white dragon tea is so good that it reduces many to tears.”

“Tears of happiness, maybe. Wow!” 

While Iroh was still the calm, composed figure of wisdom on the outside, on the inside he was jumping for joy: the Earth King liked his tea! From small cities across the Earth Kingdom to the Royal Palace itself, Iroh’s tea was truly adored. Reflecting on his journey through the past years, Iroh felt incredibly grateful for all of his triumphs: he had helped bring about a peaceful end to the war and he had followed his passion for tea making, finding success beyond his wildest dreams; most importantly, though, he knew that Zuko was leading the Fire Nation and the world into a new era of peace. 

Iroh had a lot to be grateful for currently, too: he was about to dine with the Earth King!

As if Kuei read his mind, he interposed, “I see your turtle duck is cooling down a bit.” Setting down his cup and bringing out his own meal, he softly spoke, “Before we eat, though, I have some news for you.”

Iroh looked up, interested at what Kuei had to say. 

“Your nephew, Firelord Zuko, will be on his way shortly. We’re officially starting the Harmony Restoration movement soon after we meet.”

“That’s great news, King Kuei. I haven’t seen Zuko in months—oh! and of course, the Harmony Restoration movement is also great!”

Kuei smiled, recognizing Iroh’s deep bond with his nephew. “Your nephew, Firelord Zuko... he’s a good young man and a great ruler.”

Iroh laughed: “I would hope so, because I would look bad if he wasn’t!”

The two laughed and started their meal, chatting happily as the day wore on. Soon enough, the food was eaten and the tea was drank, and both were ready to leave and take a nap—Iroh especially. As the two bid farewell, they both knew that they had a friend in the other.


End file.
